Life's Standard

So there is this monstrous amount of activity and buzz around certain things in our culture. It could be the weather – that’s always a topic of interest … despite the fact that there’s nothing new about the weather. Let’s face it; the weather continues to churn out a status quo that has been in place for thousands or even millions of years. Or maybe it’s the latest celebrity divorce or character meltdown. Maybe it’s the latest business sensation. (Often those seem to evolve around technology for whatever reason.) The point is that there never seems to be a shortage of things for people to buzz about.

But what is it about these things that make them newsworthy? What elements compel the world to sit up and take notice … of anything or anyone? Is it that they are delivering new value? Or maybe it is that they are destroying value. Yeah, tragedies are always good for some buzz and hype. Is it that these "buzz-worthy" things solve a social problem or meet a human need? Could it be that they just satisfy, at best, a human desire? Is that enough? If society sits up and takes notice of something for no better reason than it’s different or it’s entertaining --- are we letting them off the hook too easily? Shouldn’t we be demanding more from the newsmakers that the world buzzes about?

The Bible tells us to focus on things that are “excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8) I think that means that, amongst other things, God has good taste. I believe God appreciates the finer things in life. (After all – He created them!) But when He tells us in Philippians 4:8 to focus on things that are “excellent and worthy of praise,” I don’t think He’s just talking about staying away from sin. Of course, the good Lord wants each of us to focus on the pursuit of righteousness. No matter what translation of the Bible you use, that message is clear.

But let’s consider what all could fall under the category of “excellent and worthy of praise.” Certainly, that would eliminate many things. Trashy TV, tawdry affairs, smut, and other such ungodly and unrighteous things are surely out. They have no place in the life of God’s chosen people. But beyond that, I think God wants us to focus on excellence. He wants us to do our best. He wants us to dress our best, eat our best and live our best. To be perfectly honest, I'm convinced that God wants us to have the best too!

So what are the finer things in life … that this Lord of the universe would have us pursue? Good food, good drink, good entertainment, good friends, good dress, good homes, good entertainment. Yes, those all sound about right.

Why then are Americans, for example, considered to be among the worst-dressed nation on earth? Why would the most Christian nation on earth also have the biggest pornography industry? Or the biggest trade in illegal drugs? Never mind the fact that we eat the worst foods, are the most obese, have one of the highest divorce rates, etc.

Consider the way we dress. Why is it okay, for example, to wear socks with flip-flops when you travel? Or why is it okay for a woman to wear flip-flops with her dress? Is that really “excellent and worthy of praise?” How about men who tattoo all sorts of odd things on their torso and arms? Or men who wear their pants so low they’re nearly about to fall off? Maybe it’s the men who wear torn jeans and shoes that are never tied. Are these things “excellent and worthy of praise?” I think not!

Of course, if you’ve read my blog much, you know for sure that I’ll have an opinion. It doesn’t matter the topic, I’ll have an opinion. Taking a stand is just something that I do. Just between you and me – I think that in itself is “excellent and worthy of praise!” I’ve heard it said that people who don’t stand for something will fall for anything. And I darned sure don’t intend to ever be one of those people! So I look at a situation or circumstance. I consider God’s perspective. And I search for the moral high road … so I can get on it.

The thing is, I believe Americans are trapped in a mindset where we settle. We settle for most anything. Bad dress. Bad service. Poor quality. We don’t mind. Gone are the days when we would get indignant about not getting value for the price we’ve paid. Today we only get upset if it’s something we can’t afford. Perhaps the affluence of modern American society enables us to afford a lot more mediocrity. I’m pretty sure that mediocre costs a lot more than excellence. And since we’re so affluent in this country (the U.S.A.), we can afford quite an extensive array of mediocrity.

In the “good ole days,” when people had a lot less than we do now, I believe they lived better than we do. That is to say they lived lives that were more excellent and worthy of praise. Their houses were cleaner. They were in better health. They didn't have much, but took good care of what they did have. They dressed their Sunday best ... on Sundays of course. And when they got something, like a Christmas gift, it seemed to mean so much more. Maybe that's because their gifts were so excellent and worthy of praise! Mind you, I'm not pining for the "good ole days." I would never do that. I'm always the dare devil who is racing into the promising future that I think life has for all of us. But I am making an observation.

I have a teen-aged son, who perpetually loses things. We’ve bought him umpteen watches (seriously, we’ve lost count). He “loses” every one of them. How this is possible we don’t know. But they just disappear. It is the same with most of his other belongings. They often disappear into this mysterious abyss and cannot be accounted for. And I wonder if thirteen year old boys had this problem back in the 1930’s - or maybe in the 1950’s. Somehow I don’t think they did. Kids didn’t have nearly so much of anything back then. But what they did have was more excellent and worthy of praise - so they took better care of it.

So when did we cross the line to where we have so much stuff that none of our stuff really matters all that much?

That's a rhetorical question, of course. If anyone can answer, please be my guest. But I don't know the answer. I can't seem to find that line that we crossed as a society. But I am convinced that it's there. Somewhere. What I do know is that it’s not where God wants us to be. I watch those hoarding shows on TV, or the house cleaning shows on TV. I see people who are literally drowning in stuff. Is this excellent and worthy of praise? Perhaps it started out that way. But somehow you cross some sort of line where things that were excellent and worthy of praise just become stuff. And then they don’t matter. In fact, then they become a problem. They take over and make your life anything but excellent and worthy of praise.

As we chart the course of this New Year, I think it’s time that we take a serious look at what we have. It’s time that we cleaned out and got rid of that stuff which is not really excellent and worthy of praise. I mean it. Look at every single thing in your closet, or your garage, or your attic, or your storage locker. If you can't find it to be excellent and worthy of praise - then get rid of it. For heaven's sake (literally), why would you want anything that isn't excellent and worthy of praise!

When we’re finished with that project on what we have, then we can move on to what we do. How do we spend our time? What needs to be tossed out because it isn’t excellent and worthy of praise? What do we read, listen to, watch, attend, or participate in? Are each of them excellent and worthy of praise? God wants them to be. What's on you iPod? What movies do you have? What radio stations do you listen to? What books are you reading? (And just because you can read them on your new Kindle doesn't make them excellent and worthy of praise!)

There is a significant delta between the lives that we are living and the lives that God intended. Ironically, God’s people don’t look any different than the rest of the people. Why? Because we don’t limit ourselves to that which is excellent and worthy of praise. We don’t make a concerted effort to clean up our agenda – and set a higher standard for ourselves. God told us to. In Philippians 4:8. Go read it for yourself. He created us to live excellent lives, full of victory and full of joy. And He set a pretty high standard for us to get there.

It’s clear that God wants the best for us. Unfortunately, we seem content to settle for something considerably less than that. Folks, let’s not do that anymore. Let’s take our time, our culture, and our focus, and turn them toward the things that God ordained for us --- in a life that is excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8 is a mandate. It’s not just a suggestion or a housekeeping tip. It’s a compass to guide our decision making ... about everything.

So let's get started. The New Year is just begun. 2011 is full of promise. Let's each do our part to make it excellent and worthy of praise!

Hero Behaviors

If you're a Christian, my guess is that, like me, you have some Bible heroes. They're the characters in the Bible whom you admire. You've read about their activities, life, decisions and circumstances. And you've concluded that they exhibited virtues worth pursuing. Ruth is often mentioned, especially by women. Abraham, Moses and David are also favorites of many.

Sometimes I think these heroes have more to teach us than simply what a virtue looks like. One of my all time favorites is King David. (He was King Solomon's father.) God called him "a man after my own heart." Ironically, the Bible is replete with stories of his sin, weaknesses and mistakes. Though he loved his children, for example, he was a pretty miserable father. He didn't discipline his children and paid a dear price for that. There was a lot of family dysfunction in David's household.

But David exhibited some other things. Recently I was drawn to the story in 2 Samuel 16:5-14. One of David's sons, Absalom, was trying to overthrow him as king and seize control of the country. (And you think you've had problems with your adult children!) Anyway, David was fleeing the country to save his skin. As he approached Bahurim, this guy called Shimei starts stalking David.

Shimei curses King David loudly and repeatedly as they go. He pelts David and all his officials with stones. He yells at David and calls him scoundrel. He tells David that he deserves God's punishment for his bad behaviors. He mocks David, telling him that he's come to ruin because of the way he's lived. It's an ugly scene. David's getting no respect from this man. And though David and his officials are hot and tired, they're getting no pity from this man either.

So what's really curious about this is King David's reaction. Most of us would quite naturally have some sort of reaction to stop the harassment. Perhaps I might have said something like, "Listen here, chump ... do you know who I am? Keep messing with me and - when I get back on my throne - you're gonna pay for this dearly! Now buzz off!" But of course, King David was more virtuous than I am. Let's look at what he did.

First off, the king's officials were prepared to smite, or at least rebuke Shimei for what he was doing. But David's rationale surprised them. He said, "My son, who is of my own flesh, is trying to take my life. How much more than, this (man)? Leave him alone; let him curse, for perhaps the Lord has told him to."

Are you kidding me? King David, you would serious allow room for the possibility that the adversity coming from this man was of the Lord?

Then King David continues, "It may be that the Lord will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today." And the Bible tells us that David and his officials continued on their way - with Shimei on the other side of the road, continuing to curse and throw stones at them, and even showering them with dirt!

David understood the notion that vengeance belongs to the Lord. He exhibited massive restraint here. Certainly he and his officials could have whipped this guy's butt; but they didn't. Why is that? Do you think David really believed it was possible God told this dude to curse and throw rocks and dirt at David, harassing him as he fled for his life from out deranged son? Do you think that David really believed God would look on him with favor for having endured such an imposition?

I'm not one to question King David's motives. Certainly there's evidence that he did enough of that himself. But knowing what I know of King David, I'm pretty sure that whether or not he believed either of these things ... he was willing to allow for the possibility of either or both of them.

While David was fleeing for his life - and being harassed - he was willing to consider the possibility that he may have done something to deserve it and/or that God might be trying to use the circumstance(s) to get his attention about something. In addition, David was willing to see himself as a total victim for no good reason - and believe that God would settle that score in His perfect timing and in His perfect way.

Could you or I take such positions when we are faced with ridiculous circumstances? I gotta tell ya, if one of my kids is trying to kill me and take over my empire - and while running for my life I find myself being harassed and accused unfairly, that is probably not going to be my first response! Quite frankly, I imagine it would not be the first response of most human beings.

To be sure, King David was an extraordinary human being. But beyond his heroic actions, foolish sins, and heartwarming cycles of repentance, I think God uses him for more than just to each us things. I believe God uses Biblical heroes like King David to ask us pertinent questions about ourselves.

"My child, are you really willing to accept my discipline and correction in your life? Are you really willing to suffer through today's circumstances ... hanging your hat on the belief that in the end I will make all things right?"

Those are the questions that God asks through King David when I read my Bible. What kinds of questions might God be asking you? And through whom does He ask those questions?

God's Will

It was on the Christian radio show I was listening too. Another person had called in and said he was "trying to figure out God's will for my life." Honestly, I wanted to scream. I hear this all the time from Christians. I wonder why they don't look in The Book. All the answers are in there.

I have a son who is known by those who love him for eschewing directions. The boy never reads anything. Every new gadget or toy is quickly assembled, while the explicit instructions are left lying in the box. They're never read and usually get tossed. On occasion, when he has botched the assembly so bad that the gadget or toy is unsalvageable, he will resort to reading the directions.

I think this is a metaphor for how lots of people view the Christian life. They will go on about their business, ignoring God's Word (which is an instruction manual for life). It is only when life is spinning out of control, or they've made an absolute mess of things that they will consider asking the manufacturer of their life how to do it.

What is it about human nature that makes us want to spurn instructions and just figure things out on our own? Is it the thrill of flying by the seat of your pants? Do we really like failure - or do we just believe that failure is never that imminent? I don't know about you, but I've seen some pretty messy lives. And they've never been messy because someone followed instructions (that God gives in the Bible).

You see, if we'll take the time to read it, God's Word is chock full of instructions. He has made His will for us very clear and very specific. It starts with loving God with all your heart, soul and mind. It continues with serving God with all your gifts and abilities. Then it moves to loving others as you would want to be loved yourself. And it continues from there. In fact, if I were to make a list, I'm pretty confident I could list hundreds upon hundreds of specific steps God has given each of us.

Folks, it doesn't get any more specific than that. And it's printed in most languages of the world. It's offered in a variety of translations to make it easy to understand too. You can even get it on tape. You can read a little bit at a time, or a whole lot at once. But for a Christian to walk around saying that he or she is "just trying to figure out God's will for my life" is just crazy. So stop it.

I suspect that what we're really saying is that I'm trying to find a way to make my will for my life look like God's will for my life. Or what we may be saying is that I don't want to know God's will for my life - His will is too complicated and I don't want to be bothered with that. Perhaps we're saying that God's will for my life isn't good enough and doesn't meet our expectations.

Whatever it is, I suspect that running around "trying to figure out God's will for my life" is closer to sin than most of us would imagine!

God's Will 4 Me?

Have you ever wondered what God's will for you might be? I have. In fact I've spent a great deal of time throughout my life wondering, yearning to know God's will for me. It always seemed like some eternal secret that I was desperate to get access to. I think it is like that for many people too.

I have friends and acquaintances who will tell me they have no clue what God wants them to do. They'll claim that He doesn't speak to them, and explain that they feel as if they are waiting patiently --- and it is God who stubbornly refuses to reveal His will for them to them.

Now I don't judge those people; I've spent most of my life being one of them. But no more. It finally dawned on me (and I'm sure the Holy Spirit was one with the "dawn") that God has generously revealed His will for me in full detail. The cool thing is, He's done it for you too!

We are told to read our Bibles. We're often told to study them to know God and His will for our lives. I suspect that most of us hear that as some sort of rhetoric, and don't fully have that expectation of Scripture. But if we sit down and really read the Bible, we can find that God has revealed His will for us in great detail.

Consider, for example, the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17). "Have no other gods before me. Don't worship anything else. don't misuse the name of the Lord. Keep the Sabbath. Honor your parents. Don't murder. Don't commit adultery (even in your mind, as Jesus pointed out). Don't steal. Don't testify falsely (lie). Don't covet." You see, these are pretty clear and straightforward. They are God's will for your life! Moreover, Jesus backed up every single one of the Ten Commandments in Matthew, Mark and Luke. There can be no question what God's will for my life is.

But it certainly doesn't start there. In Genesis, we are told God's will for our lives. "Be fruitful and multiply. Rule over the earth and the animals (Genesis 1:28). It is not good for man (or woman) to be alone (Genesis 2:18). Separate from your birth family and become one with your spouse (Genesis 2:24)." To be clear, from the very beginning God was revealing His will for your life in intricate detail!

It certainly doesn't end in the Old Testament either. All the way through New Testament, God has been busy giving us detailed instructions about how to live our lives. Consider Romans 12. "Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. Don't conform to the patterns of this world (i.e., don't belong to your culture). Be transformed by the renewing of your mind (i.e., be of a new mind, shaped by God). Don't think of yourself more highly than you ought. Think of yourself with sober judgment according to the measure of faith God has given you. Serve in your gifts, completely. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony (peace) with each other. Do not be proud. Be willing to associate with people of lower social status than yourself. Do not be conceited. Don't repay evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right, in a way that everyone can see that you did. Live at peace with everyone, as far as it depends on you. Do not take revenge, but leave room for God's wrath. Do not be overcome (overwhelmed) by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Good heavens! Did you know that God had such explicit instructions for you? Did you know that God wanted to provide you with such direction for your life? And let's be honest here - this reads like a checklist for the day. I can list these things out, tape them to my bathroom mirror and check it every morning to see what my game plan for the day needs to be. God is that simple. Notice that He doesn't make broad, sweeping generalizations. These are specific instructions.

Take James 5:16. (No, really, take it!) "Confess your sins to each other, and pray for each other so that you may be healed (of your sinful ways)." It's clear what we're to do - confess our sins to another piece of flesh. Elsewhere the Bible tells us to confess our sins to God as well, so this is the second thing we're to do with our sin. What sin? All of it! Imagine that, God has even given us explicit instructions on what to do with our sin! It might seem a little presumptuous of God - to think that His people would have any sin. But then again, God probably knows us better than we think!

Are you seeing the point? We really have no excuse when it comes to knowing God's will for my life. We like to think that God has called each of us to nearly immortal greatness. We want His will for us to be revealed in some miraculous way (like maybe a burning, talking bush). We'd like to think God created us to be a great doctor, teacher, pastor, mother, etc. But folks, those are the things we do in the longer term scheme of life.

God may indeed call you to become a great teacher or preacher, or a great doctor or nurse. But He will first call you to get the little things done right on a day-to-day basis. Don't miss that point. And let's face it, if we aren't reading our Bible regularly and taking note of the detailed instructions God is providing there - then our ignorance about God's will for our life is self inflicted. Don't miss that point either!

Spiritual Vision

I often talk to people who tell me that they "don't hear anything from God." They are believers, religious and seem to be sincere in their faith. Yet they claim that God doesn't speak to them. Usually this comes up in the context of their knowing God's will for their life. All of us - who think it matters - want to know God's will for our lives. What does God want me to do? Where does God want me to go? Is this decision I'm about to make in accordance with God's will for me? Those questions haunt us. And it's right that they do! We should want the answers to those questions.

But what is one to do if God won't tell you? What is the conclusion one should reach? Sadly some people conclude that God doesn't care. They may question their salvation. They may wonder what they've done to cause God to act with such indifference toward them. Still others get frustrated, maybe even angry with God. Of course none of these is an appropriate response. Instead, I believe the answers are in God's Word (the Bible).

Jesus taught an important sermon, called the "Sermon on the Mount." You can read it in Matthew, chapters five (5) through seven (7). In Matthew 6:22-23, Jesus said, "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness." Now, let's be clear. Jesus wasn't talking about our physical eyes. Rather He was speaking of our spiritual vision - the ability to see things from God's perspective. Some have called it discernment. Others have called it spiritual maturity. But I think spiritual vision is a good way to understand it.

Spiritual vision is our capacity to see clearly what God wants us to do and to see the world from His point of view. But this spiritual vision can be clouded. Self-serving desires, interests and goals can readily block that spiritual vision. The problem is, that most of the Christians I know don't seem to be aware of their self-serving desires, interests and goals. Yet it is clear to me that they stand in the way. So whenever I feel as if God isn't speaking to me ... it's time for some self-evaluation. How focused am I on God and His priorities? How well am I listening to God (i.e., spending time in contemplative prayer, reading my Bible, listening to wise counsel)?

If something is clouding my view of God, or my ability to see things His way, I can be certain that He didn't put it there. It is God's will to reveal Himself - and His ways, to us. So it would never be His will to block that view. He wants us to be informed, to understand and not to be ignorant or misguided.

When I identify some self-serving desires, interests and goals within me, it is time to crucify them. And the best way to crucify my selfishness is to serve God and His agenda. Put others before myself. Set myself aside. Make some sacrifices for others. Compromise some of my own priorities for God's sake. This could be as simple as giving up the football game to go to church or to do some volunteer work. Or it could be as pronounced as selling my lake house and funding a mission with the money. Talking to God ... and listening to God ... will usually provide me with the Holy Spirit's leading when it comes to crucifying my selfishness.

So, if you think God is not speaking to you --- you are probably wrong. He is a man of few words (to coin a phrase). But He is not a God of secrets. Just remember it is His will to reveal Himself and His will to each of His followers. The only thing to question then is how well I am following!