Today we are going to look at a story of Jesus with perhaps his closest friends. Beyond the circle of his disciples, Jesus closest friends were the sisters Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus. Several times as Jesus travelled from Judea to Galilee, we find him staying at their home in Bethany, and this story is from Luke 10.
I was in a meeting with some church members this week and someone from outside the church asked the question, what as a church are we most proud of and what ministry do we celebrate. I didn’t answer first because I am always interested in what others see as the strengths of the church and one of the first things someone lifted up was our outreach into the community through our work at the Faith Centre. As a congregation we are still the strongest supporters of FC and it is the volunteer hours that so many of you give in the sorting room, the food bank and the thrift store that helps keep that ministry alive and serving the needs of so many people in our community. Someone else mentioned the mission trips we take, and then we talked about the Christmas Dinner we serve free to the community and then someone else mentioned the Christmas Musical. As I listened to people share, I was really excited because everyone around the table shared with passion and enthusiasm. People were eager to talk about the strengths and opportunities they saw in their church, and the love they had for the ministry of Faith Church was genuine and contagious.
I was pretty excited about all it all, but then I realized that everything that was being shared involved our doing something. We are a busy church: football dinners, the 5th quarter, local outreach, mission trips, FaithCentre, Christmas Musicals and the Christmas dinner are just a part of all that we do as the people of God. We are a busy church, and don’t misunderstand me, that’s a good thing. All our ministry and outreach and service is good, and these activities not only provide opportunities for us to reach out to those in need around us (which is clearly the call of Jesus), but they also provide us opportunities to build strong and healthy relationships with one another which I also think is God’s will for his people. So all the work we do at Faith Church is good. We have heard the word of God from the book of James that says, faith by itself, if it has no works is dead. Using that definition, then we can confidently say that we are a church that is alive and that we are a community of faith, but as people shared that night about football and Christmas dinners, musicals and mission trips, I couldn’t help but think about the story of Mary and Martha.
Mary and Martha had Jesus as a guest in their home and while Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet listening and learning, Martha was busy working to care for the needs of all the people gathered there. No one can argue that the service Martha provided was not valuable and important, it was, but we find in this story the hidden dangers of too much activity and too much busy-ness. In 10:40 it says Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and in 10:41 Jesus says, Martha you are worried and upset (other translations again say distracted). The danger in being too busy is that we become distracted and can lose our focus. Being too busy can cause us to lose sight of God and Martha’s response to Jesus shows us where this lose of focus and distraction can ultimately lead us – and it’s not a pretty sight. Look at Luke 10:40.
We can learn a lot from this one sentence. Let’s start at the end of the sentence and work backward. The first thing that often happens when we get too busy is that we only focus on ourselves. Mary says, I have been left to do all the work by myself. She has become self focused and self absorbed, and this leads to self pity. Mary is feeling sorry for herself here. As the evening wore on with Jesus all Martha can think about is how she has been the one doing all the work. Not only has she prepared and served the meal – but now she’s the one who has been left to clean up and do the dishes.
One way to tell if we are too busy is if we start feeling sorry for ourselves because of all the work we have to do. You see lots of work and activity is not a bad thing if we remain focused, but if all our activity becomes a burden and we start feeling sorry for ourselves and consumed with self pity, it might be a good idea to stop and evaluate what’s going in our lives and see if we have taken on too much, or if we haven’t asked for help. It’s important to do this because self pity often leads to greater problems, like anger, frustration, and judgment. Again, look at what Martha says, she doesn’t just say, I have been left to all the work; she says “my sister has left me to do all the work”. Martha’s not just feeling sorry for herself, her self pity has led to feeling anger at her sister and so she is quick to point out to Jesus how Mary has not pulling her weight. Martha’s self-pity and judgment has distracted her from the humble loving relationship she has had with her sister and it has created in her a harsh and critical spirit.
Once again, one way to tell if we are too busy is if we start being critical of those around us who we don’t think are doing enough. If we are quick to point out the problems and the faults of others, if we are quick to point out what others aren’t doing, we might want to evaluate what we are doing and again see if we have just taken on too much, or if we are doing things for the wrong reasons, or if we just need to stop and ask for some help.
Too much busy-ness not only leads us to be critical of others, it can also lead us to being critical and questioning of God. Look at how Martha begins her complaint to Jesus, “Lord, do you not care?” Martha’s distraction and self pity has not only led her to become critical of her sister Mary, but she also questions Jesus love and concern for her. In the course of this one evening she has gone from faithfulness to frustration, and she has gone from knowing God’s love for her to questioning that same love. It is possible for us to become so busy that we not only lose sight of God and what God’s will and desire might be for our lives, but we can get so busy that we lose sight of God’s love for us. Too much activity can cause us to question God’s ultimate care and concern for our lives which can lead us farther and farther away from God.
So we need to be careful that we don’t get so busy in life that we lose focus of God and just focus on ourselves, because self focus not only leads to self pity, criticism and judgment of others it can cause us to question God’s ultimate love for us. And it doesn’t matter if we are busy with family, jobs and life, or if we are busy with mission, service and ministry. Remember, Martha was busy serving Jesus when she became distracted and worried. Too much activity in the church is also something we need to guard against.
So what’s the answer? Well please hear this loud and clear – the answer is NOT to stop working. The answer is not to stop serving God and taking care of our family and being involved in mission and ministry in the world around us. Notice that Jesus never told Martha to stop working. The answer is balance. Look at what Jesus says to Martha, you are worried about many things, but only one thing is need and Mary has chosen what is better. Mary has chosen the one thing that is needed for a balanced life and that is to take the time to sit at the feet of Jesus to rest and reflect, to sit at the feet of Jesus to listen and to learn.
One of the important truths we learn from Jesus interaction with Mary and Martha here is that serving without sitting can lead us in the wrong direction. Serving God without ever sitting at the feet of Jesus to listen and learn will not lead us closer to God. In fact, serving God without taking the time listen can lead us farther and farther away from God and the life God wants for us. Isn’t that what happened to Martha? All her serving and activity has led her to a place of criticism, judgment and doubt. We can keep ourselves so busy even in our service to God that in time we find no joy in our service and no meaning or value in the work we do for God. Without that joy and value we lose all sense of direction in life and in faith and what often happens then is that people just quit. We call this burn-out and unfortunately we see too much of it in the life of the church. So serving God or serving others without sitting at Jesus feet can lead us in the wrong direction and can ultimately take us far away from God and the life God wants for us.
But sitting without serving is powerless and faithless. Sitting at the feet of Jesus in worship and study without ever getting up to serve God or the people God places in our lives is what James would call faith without works – and that is no faith at all. Look again at James 2:14-18.
So the answer simply can not be to stop serving and putting our faith to work. Sitting in worship and Bible Study but then never serving God is not the answer; the only answer is to serve after sitting. The balance we need to strive for in life is to serve God and the people around us after we have spent some quality time sitting at the feet of Jesus in worship and study. That is the only kind of order that brings power and direction to our faith and to our lives.
Now this is an important message for us to hear today because we are headed into a busy season of the year. Not only is this a busy time for children, youth and families with the start of school, but this is a busy time for us as a church as well. We have football dinners and 5th quarters starting up in a couple weeks. We have an outreach picnic planned for next week and Christmas musical planning and practices will soon be under way. And I hate to say this, but before long the holiday bazaar and the Christmas Dinner will begin planning because there are only 115 days left until Christmas. So the reality is that things will get even busier then they are right now, which means it will be easy for us get too distracted, worried and upset in the weeks ahead, so today is a good day to hear this message of Jesus that reminds us that Mary made an important, even a vital choice that night because Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus to rest. She took the time to reflect, listen and learn before she went out to serve.
So I want to encourage you this week, to take some time to sit at the feet of Jesus to rest and reflect, to listen and learn. If you go to the Grange Fair today or this week, don’t just go to find your favorite food stand, find some time to sit quietly and reflect on God’s word for your life. Maybe sit with your family or friends and share what God’s doing in your life, or what you want God to do in your life. If you have the opportunity to get away this week from the busy-ness and worries of life, take the time and make sure you spend some of it with God. If you can’t physically get away – at the very least, let the dishes go for a couple hours and take a walk in the evening or sit on the back porch, or come here to the church and sit at a picnic table under the trees in the back yard and rest, relax and reflect on what you hear God saying to your heart. It is important for us to take this time now so that we can enter into the fall focused and faithful, not distracted, critical and burned out.
Maybe even more important than taking time this week, however, is ordering our lives in such a way that we take the time every week to sit at the feet of Jesus to listen. We all know how busy life is and how easy it is for us to lose our focus, so we need consistent times where we can stop and simply sit at the feet of Jesus. Make sure you take the time for regular worship, make the decision now to join a small group this fall, or a Sunday School class where together we can sit at the feet of Jesus and learn. Let’s make sure we serve God but only after we spend some time sitting in God’s presence. So let the dirty dishes wait, chose what is better, choose the way that leads to life and take some time to and sit at the feet of Jesus to listen and to learn and to be filled with his love.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Making the Most of our Time
One of the most influential people in my life was my Grandmother. We lived in her summer house for 4 years after my Dad got out of the Army and even after we moved into our house across town, I spent most of my summers at her home. My grandmother was one of the most active women I have ever known. She swam in the cold waters of Long Island Sound just about every day between Memorial Day and Labor Day and she usually did it early in the morning before breakfast. There were many mornings when I couldn’t even get into the water up to my knees because it was so cold, but she would be out there swimming. Not only was she active, she was well read, very smart and held strong opinions.
During college when I struggle trying to figure out what to do with my life, my Grandmother and I talked a lot about ministry. While I was thinking about being a missionary overseas she kept saying that there were people and needs right here to focus on and that I didn’t need to go any place else. In many ways she was ahead of her time because today there are almost more missionaries coming into the United States then we are sending overseas. She was smart, and I always believed my Grandmother would remain strong and health for years, she was seldom sick and never remember her in the hospital, but after a routine surgery she suffered a stroke and never spoke again.
At the time of my grandmother’s stroke, I had graduated from college and working as an assistant manager of a movie theater in South Bend IN. I knew I didn’t want to do that forever, and I knew that God wanted me in some kind of ministry, but I struggled to figure out what that was so I just kept working. Honestly it was the easiest thing to do because it meant that I didn’t have to make any changes. I just kept working, but my Grandmother’s stroke got me thinking.
At the same time as my grandmother’s stroke there was a movie playing in the theater where I worked called Dead Poet’s Society, and in that movie, Robin Williams plays the English teacher John Keating who encourages the boys in his class to live up to their potential. In once scene Keating gathers all the boys around the old pictures of the students who had gone before them at the Academy and he says, If you listen real close, you can hear them whispering their legacy to you. And then he stands behind them and whispers Carpe Diem – Seize the Day.
Carpe Diem – those 2 Latin words never seemed to be far from my heart or mind. All I could think of was my Grandmother who I thought would live a strong and vital life many more years, but in an instant, her life changed forever. And what was I doing with my life? The job was good, but was it God’s will for me? Was this what God had called me to? As I think back to that time, I wonder if it was my Grandmother, or maybe God himself, whispering to my heart – Carpe Diem – Seize the Day. What I began to realize is that life was short and God was calling me to step up and do more. While I did not have all the answers about what God wanted for me and from me, I took just one step of faith, I seized the day and quit my job and took the first step of a journey that led me to seminary, and eventually led me to being a local pastor in Central PA.
Now I share all of this because that’s what I think of when I read Ephesians 5:16. Paul tells us to make the most of every opportunity, or as the NRSV translates this, make the most of our time. It took my Grandmother’s stroke to wake me up and help me realize that I wasn’t making the most of my time and that I needed to seize the day and step out to live the life that God wanted for me. Are we living each day to the fullest and are we making the most of every opportunity and every day that God gives us? Are we making the most of the life God has given to us? I think the Apostle Paul whisper’s down through eternity saying, Carpe Diem, seize the day. He’s telling us that life in this world is short and so we need to make the most of what God has given us and we need to step out and do what God is asking us to do.
Now if we don’t know what God is asking us to do, if we aren’t clear about the will of God, then we need to seize this day and figure that out. In fact, if we read on in Eph. 5 that’s exactly what Paul says. Ephesians 5:19. Understand what the Lord’s will is.
In so many ways, that is the key to life, understanding what it is God wants for us. Whether we are getting ready to head off to college, or preparing for retirement, or just making our way through life and work and family, God has a plan and a purpose for us today and we need to discover God’s will so we can make the most of the days and the time and the opportunities God has for us.
If we aren’t sure what God’s will is, and my guess is that many of us aren’t sure at times, then we need to keep reading in Ephesians 5 because Paul shows us the way to discover God’s will. The key to discovering God’s will for our lives is to be filled with God’s spirit. Look at 5:18. It’s not just wine that we should not fill ourselves with, it’s all the things of the world. We can’t look to the world around us to help us figure out God’s will – if it’s God’s will we have to look to God first. So we need to turn to God and be filled with the spirit of God. Now we have just spent two months looking at the fruit of God’s spirit and how that fruit develops when we are filled with God’s spirit, but one of other benefit from being filled with the spirit of God is knowing the will of God for our life. So if we are struggling trying to figure out what God wants for us and from us in life – we need to turn to God and stay connected to God. If we want to know God’s will for our lives then we need to seize the day and surrender ourselves to the Spirit of God and allow God to fill us up. You see, when God fills us up, we will not only experience love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control or inner strength, but we begin to discover God’s direction and will for our lives so that we can make the most of our time and the most of our lives.
Notice that Paul doesn’t tell us to just be filled with the Spirit of God, he also tells us how to be filled with the Spirit. 5:19-20. …
So the spirit of God fills us as we do these things, but let’s start with the second part of verse 19 & 20 first. The spirit of God fills us as we worship Him. As we sing and make music to God in our heart, and as we give thanks to God at all times – the spirit of God leads us. This is why worship is so important, because it is as we worship God, it is as we surrender our hearts and lives to God in worship that God fills us up an when the spirit of God is within us, it’s speaking to us. One reason we might be able to hear God more clearly during times of worship is because this is often the only time during the week that we put aside everything else and center our hearts and lives of God. We hear God’s word read, we sing God’s word and hear God’s will through songs, and we give ourselves to God in prayer and offering, and self surrender. So worship is vital to God revealing his will to us, but there is more. Look at 5:19
As I read that this week I had to ask myself, does Paul really want us to sing to each other like we are living in some Broadway musical? Does God want us to talk in poetic verse to one another? I really don’t think that is what Paul is saying here, so what is he saying? I think Paul is saying that we need to have serious spiritual conversations with one another about God’s leading in our lives. I am amazed that we will talk to people about everything else, even deeply personal and intimate things, but we are reluctant to talk to one another about our faith or our relationship with God. It may be because we are unsure of our own personal relationship with God, or we may feel inadequate to share and talk with others about the will of God in our lives, or maybe we are just afraid of sounding crazy or radical, but how will we ever grow in our faith if we won’t share with one another what we sense God doing in our lives? Why is it that we can ask people “how’s it going”, but we won’t ask people “so what God is saying to you these days? Or, “what’s God doing in your life?”
Time is short, and we need to make the most of every opportunity and every conversation. We need to be bold and ask people what God is doing in their lives and we need to take the risk and share with others what God is doing in our lives. If we don’t know what God is doing in our lives, if we are unsure and confused, that’s ok, but we need to share that too.
When I started seminary I was pretty clear that I did not want to be a local pastor, it took many people talking with me to help change my heart and mind. It took a church community that loved and supported me and prayed for me to help me hear and understand the call and the will of God for my life. This is what we need to do for one another. We need to share with one another, and we need to pray with one another and together we need to ask God to speak to us, and to speak clearly to us. Time is short, life is short and we can’t put off God’s will for our lives for another day, we need to seize today. We need to engage one another in spiritual conversations that will help lead all of us to understand God’s will for our lives, and for the life of the church.
I’m thankful today for those who shared about their trip to South Dakota and I hope that you will take the time to ask them more about what God was doing in their lives there and what God has been doing in their lives since then. And let me encourage you to think about going on a mission trip. There is something about mission trips and retreats that help us hear God more clearly. Maybe it’s being out of our routine and not having to focus on all the other aspects of life, maybe it’s living together and eating together and working together and praying together. I don’t know, but there is something about serving together and learning together that helps us grow closer to God and helps us hear God’s voice or sense God’s leading in some strong way. So if you want to discover God’s will, the think about going on a mission trip, or taking the time right here to serving God by serving those who have the greatest needs.
From Ephesians 5 God says to us, Carpe Diem, seize the day, seize today and make the most of the opportunities we have been given by God to discover God’s will for our lives. Let us talk openly with one another during Sunday School, or at the church picnic. Let us pray with one another and let us step out to serve God with the confidence that God will lead us through those times of mission and ministry. Last week I sense that we were all challenged to surrender ourselves to God and this week God is showing us one way we can surrender ourselves to him is by making the most of our time together during Sunday School, at the church picnic, or around our dinner tables at home, sitting out on the back porch in the evening, walking with your family or friends. Don’t just make small talk make the most of the opportunity God has given us seriously share with one another what God is doing in our lives. We need to talk about the questions God is raising in us, the hungers God is awakening, and the direction we are sensing God leading us. Carpe Diem, Seize the day, seize this day and let us begin to make the most of our lives.
During college when I struggle trying to figure out what to do with my life, my Grandmother and I talked a lot about ministry. While I was thinking about being a missionary overseas she kept saying that there were people and needs right here to focus on and that I didn’t need to go any place else. In many ways she was ahead of her time because today there are almost more missionaries coming into the United States then we are sending overseas. She was smart, and I always believed my Grandmother would remain strong and health for years, she was seldom sick and never remember her in the hospital, but after a routine surgery she suffered a stroke and never spoke again.
At the time of my grandmother’s stroke, I had graduated from college and working as an assistant manager of a movie theater in South Bend IN. I knew I didn’t want to do that forever, and I knew that God wanted me in some kind of ministry, but I struggled to figure out what that was so I just kept working. Honestly it was the easiest thing to do because it meant that I didn’t have to make any changes. I just kept working, but my Grandmother’s stroke got me thinking.
At the same time as my grandmother’s stroke there was a movie playing in the theater where I worked called Dead Poet’s Society, and in that movie, Robin Williams plays the English teacher John Keating who encourages the boys in his class to live up to their potential. In once scene Keating gathers all the boys around the old pictures of the students who had gone before them at the Academy and he says, If you listen real close, you can hear them whispering their legacy to you. And then he stands behind them and whispers Carpe Diem – Seize the Day.
Carpe Diem – those 2 Latin words never seemed to be far from my heart or mind. All I could think of was my Grandmother who I thought would live a strong and vital life many more years, but in an instant, her life changed forever. And what was I doing with my life? The job was good, but was it God’s will for me? Was this what God had called me to? As I think back to that time, I wonder if it was my Grandmother, or maybe God himself, whispering to my heart – Carpe Diem – Seize the Day. What I began to realize is that life was short and God was calling me to step up and do more. While I did not have all the answers about what God wanted for me and from me, I took just one step of faith, I seized the day and quit my job and took the first step of a journey that led me to seminary, and eventually led me to being a local pastor in Central PA.
Now I share all of this because that’s what I think of when I read Ephesians 5:16. Paul tells us to make the most of every opportunity, or as the NRSV translates this, make the most of our time. It took my Grandmother’s stroke to wake me up and help me realize that I wasn’t making the most of my time and that I needed to seize the day and step out to live the life that God wanted for me. Are we living each day to the fullest and are we making the most of every opportunity and every day that God gives us? Are we making the most of the life God has given to us? I think the Apostle Paul whisper’s down through eternity saying, Carpe Diem, seize the day. He’s telling us that life in this world is short and so we need to make the most of what God has given us and we need to step out and do what God is asking us to do.
Now if we don’t know what God is asking us to do, if we aren’t clear about the will of God, then we need to seize this day and figure that out. In fact, if we read on in Eph. 5 that’s exactly what Paul says. Ephesians 5:19. Understand what the Lord’s will is.
In so many ways, that is the key to life, understanding what it is God wants for us. Whether we are getting ready to head off to college, or preparing for retirement, or just making our way through life and work and family, God has a plan and a purpose for us today and we need to discover God’s will so we can make the most of the days and the time and the opportunities God has for us.
If we aren’t sure what God’s will is, and my guess is that many of us aren’t sure at times, then we need to keep reading in Ephesians 5 because Paul shows us the way to discover God’s will. The key to discovering God’s will for our lives is to be filled with God’s spirit. Look at 5:18. It’s not just wine that we should not fill ourselves with, it’s all the things of the world. We can’t look to the world around us to help us figure out God’s will – if it’s God’s will we have to look to God first. So we need to turn to God and be filled with the spirit of God. Now we have just spent two months looking at the fruit of God’s spirit and how that fruit develops when we are filled with God’s spirit, but one of other benefit from being filled with the spirit of God is knowing the will of God for our life. So if we are struggling trying to figure out what God wants for us and from us in life – we need to turn to God and stay connected to God. If we want to know God’s will for our lives then we need to seize the day and surrender ourselves to the Spirit of God and allow God to fill us up. You see, when God fills us up, we will not only experience love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control or inner strength, but we begin to discover God’s direction and will for our lives so that we can make the most of our time and the most of our lives.
Notice that Paul doesn’t tell us to just be filled with the Spirit of God, he also tells us how to be filled with the Spirit. 5:19-20. …
So the spirit of God fills us as we do these things, but let’s start with the second part of verse 19 & 20 first. The spirit of God fills us as we worship Him. As we sing and make music to God in our heart, and as we give thanks to God at all times – the spirit of God leads us. This is why worship is so important, because it is as we worship God, it is as we surrender our hearts and lives to God in worship that God fills us up an when the spirit of God is within us, it’s speaking to us. One reason we might be able to hear God more clearly during times of worship is because this is often the only time during the week that we put aside everything else and center our hearts and lives of God. We hear God’s word read, we sing God’s word and hear God’s will through songs, and we give ourselves to God in prayer and offering, and self surrender. So worship is vital to God revealing his will to us, but there is more. Look at 5:19
As I read that this week I had to ask myself, does Paul really want us to sing to each other like we are living in some Broadway musical? Does God want us to talk in poetic verse to one another? I really don’t think that is what Paul is saying here, so what is he saying? I think Paul is saying that we need to have serious spiritual conversations with one another about God’s leading in our lives. I am amazed that we will talk to people about everything else, even deeply personal and intimate things, but we are reluctant to talk to one another about our faith or our relationship with God. It may be because we are unsure of our own personal relationship with God, or we may feel inadequate to share and talk with others about the will of God in our lives, or maybe we are just afraid of sounding crazy or radical, but how will we ever grow in our faith if we won’t share with one another what we sense God doing in our lives? Why is it that we can ask people “how’s it going”, but we won’t ask people “so what God is saying to you these days? Or, “what’s God doing in your life?”
Time is short, and we need to make the most of every opportunity and every conversation. We need to be bold and ask people what God is doing in their lives and we need to take the risk and share with others what God is doing in our lives. If we don’t know what God is doing in our lives, if we are unsure and confused, that’s ok, but we need to share that too.
When I started seminary I was pretty clear that I did not want to be a local pastor, it took many people talking with me to help change my heart and mind. It took a church community that loved and supported me and prayed for me to help me hear and understand the call and the will of God for my life. This is what we need to do for one another. We need to share with one another, and we need to pray with one another and together we need to ask God to speak to us, and to speak clearly to us. Time is short, life is short and we can’t put off God’s will for our lives for another day, we need to seize today. We need to engage one another in spiritual conversations that will help lead all of us to understand God’s will for our lives, and for the life of the church.
I’m thankful today for those who shared about their trip to South Dakota and I hope that you will take the time to ask them more about what God was doing in their lives there and what God has been doing in their lives since then. And let me encourage you to think about going on a mission trip. There is something about mission trips and retreats that help us hear God more clearly. Maybe it’s being out of our routine and not having to focus on all the other aspects of life, maybe it’s living together and eating together and working together and praying together. I don’t know, but there is something about serving together and learning together that helps us grow closer to God and helps us hear God’s voice or sense God’s leading in some strong way. So if you want to discover God’s will, the think about going on a mission trip, or taking the time right here to serving God by serving those who have the greatest needs.
From Ephesians 5 God says to us, Carpe Diem, seize the day, seize today and make the most of the opportunities we have been given by God to discover God’s will for our lives. Let us talk openly with one another during Sunday School, or at the church picnic. Let us pray with one another and let us step out to serve God with the confidence that God will lead us through those times of mission and ministry. Last week I sense that we were all challenged to surrender ourselves to God and this week God is showing us one way we can surrender ourselves to him is by making the most of our time together during Sunday School, at the church picnic, or around our dinner tables at home, sitting out on the back porch in the evening, walking with your family or friends. Don’t just make small talk make the most of the opportunity God has given us seriously share with one another what God is doing in our lives. We need to talk about the questions God is raising in us, the hungers God is awakening, and the direction we are sensing God leading us. Carpe Diem, Seize the day, seize this day and let us begin to make the most of our lives.
Where's the joy?
If you are wondering why there is no joy in my fruit of the spirit sermon series from this summer, there is a reason. The week before that sermon I was with our church on a mission trip to Rosebud South Dakota. We spent a week working on the Rosebud Indian Reservation and I fly home Saturday to be in Bellefonte for worship on Sunday. My flight from Detriot to State College was cancelled and so I rented a car and drove all night. I got home about 30 minutes before worship and while I did preach a sermon on joy as one of the fruits of God's spirit, I honestly can not make out my notes and I really don't remember much of the sermon. I rewrote the sermon while in SD and on the first leg of my flight home, but never got to my computer to actually rewrite it. My notes still don't make much sense.
Here is what I do remember from my sermon (and can make sense of in my notes):
Joy is NOT dependant upon our circumstances.
Joy is a security we have in knowing that God is with us (If God is for us who can be against us!).
Joy is a security in knowing that Salvation and Eternal Life are ours through Jesus Christ.
Joy comes in serving others. (We experienced a great deal of joy serving the people in South Dakota)
Joy comes in serving comes because when we serve we are joining in the work of Jesus (the provider of joy) and we when we serve we are reminded that Jesus serves us (and saves us) us daily.
So if you want to experience the lasting joy that is the fruit of God's spirit - stop looking at our circumstances and step out to serve.
Here is what I do remember from my sermon (and can make sense of in my notes):
Joy is NOT dependant upon our circumstances.
Joy is a security we have in knowing that God is with us (If God is for us who can be against us!).
Joy is a security in knowing that Salvation and Eternal Life are ours through Jesus Christ.
Joy comes in serving others. (We experienced a great deal of joy serving the people in South Dakota)
Joy comes in serving comes because when we serve we are joining in the work of Jesus (the provider of joy) and we when we serve we are reminded that Jesus serves us (and saves us) us daily.
So if you want to experience the lasting joy that is the fruit of God's spirit - stop looking at our circumstances and step out to serve.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Fruit of the Spirit ~ Self-control
For the past 2 months we have been looking at the fruit of God’s spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. The fruit of the spirit, or the qualities of character that emerge in our lives as we stay connected to God through Jesus Christ are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. While we are called by God to be intentional in living lives that reflect these Christ-like characteristics, the reality is that we do not develop this fruit on our own. The only way this fruit will mature and ripen in our lives is if we intentionally stay connected on God and daily work to develop a strong relationship with Jesus Christ.
Today as we turn to the last of the fruit listed here, I want to be clear about two things. The first is that each of the fruits listed here builds upon the others. The foundation of a Christ-like character begins with love; God’s love at work in our lives. Nothing happens without the love of God, but once that love takes hold, we begin to experience joy and then our hearts and minds will be at peace. With God’s peace reigning in our lives comes the ability to be patient and kind with one another and as kindness grows, so does faithfulness, goodness and gentleness. So we need to be clear, we will never experience self-control until the rest of these qualities have taken hold in our lives. One of the problems we face is that too often we want this self-control, we want disciplined lives, but we don’t want to go through the process and the work needed to get there. There is no magic pill and there is no simple solution to self-control, it only comes as the fruit of God’s spirit grows in our lives and that only comes as we place more and more of our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
That we need more of this discipline and control in our lives, however, is clear, the signs of our out of control lives are all around us. We have a hard time controlling our spending and so we are a nation of people with mounting personal debt. We have a hard time controlling our eating habits so we are nation that struggles with the epidemic of obesity and we are passing this out of control behavior on to our children. Fully 1/3 of all adults and children are considered to be obese. We also have a hard time controlling our lust so sexual addictions are becoming more and more common and infidelity in marriage continues to rise, even inside the church Everywhere we turn we see signs that we are living out of control lives, and while it has taken us decades to get here, we always seem to want the quick fix that will immediately help us regain discipline and control – but there aren’t an easy answers. Self control comes at the end of the list of spiritual fruit because it only comes as we grow in our spiritual depth and maturity. The only way we will experience more discipline in our lives is to first allow the spirit of God to bring us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness because it will be the combination of this fruit which will help us become more disciplined and directed in our lives. So there is no easy answer to self-control, but it can and it will develop in our lives as we seek more of God’s spirit and power.
Now the second thing to understand about self control is that we really are not talking about SELF control at all. The Greek word for self control comes from two different words, in and strength, so self control really means inner strength. Now if the inner strength that we rely upon and trust in to help us become more disciplined comes from our self, we will be destined for frustration and failure. We know this is true because we have all been there. We try to exercise self control in so many different ways, diet, exercise, budgets, abstinence, and while we might do well for a while, eventually, we fail. Lasting discipline and control only comes from an inner strength which finds its source in God. It is only God who gives us the strength to make the right decisions and do the right things at all the right times. It is only when we are walking in the spirit of God, or drawing upon the strength of God, that we will find ultimate victory and a lasting success in life, so we really aren’t talking about self control at all, what we are talking about is God control. Self control is really a life that is fully surrendered to and controlled by the spirit of God.
So if we want to live a disciplined life, we start by asking God to take control of our lives and give us the strength and power we need to make the right decisions and do the right things, and if we ask God to take control, God will. When we surrender ourselves to God, God will not only receive us, but God will fill us with his power and strength. In fact, I believe God is just waiting for us to come to him and ask so that He can give us His strength. Last week we looked at the story of the sinful and broken woman who meets Jesus at the well. She comes during the heat of the day because her life is out of control, she has failed miserably in trying to live life on her own and one of the things Jesus says to her is, if you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you give me a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water. Jesus was waiting at the well to give her the gift of God’s spirit. God is waiting here today to give us the gift of his strength so that we can draw upon it in times of weakness, temptation and need. God is right here waiting, and he is ready to give us the gift of inner strength if we will just ask.
So let’s just ask. Let’s just stop here and ask God for his strength and power. If you have tried to bring discipline and order to your life and have failed, or if you are in need of an inner strength that will not let you down when the temptations get strong, then join me in asking God to bring us his power and strength.
Prayer
Now asking God to take control is just the beginning, we now have to get serious and live each and every day keeping God in control and honestly, that’s a battle. If we turn back to Galatians 5 but go back a few verses we see how Paul talks about this battle for control. 5:16-17
When Paul says to live by the Spirit what he is saying is that we need to live each day with the spirit of God in control, but this is a battle because our desire to be in control is pretty, strong and many times our desire – or our flesh – is opposed to God. So the battle for control is fierce and just asking God to take control once is not enough, in many ways, asking God to take control and to be in control is an ongoing way of life and it is a way of life that we need to get serious about. Every moment of every day we need to draw upon the inner strength God gives us and use this power to help us make the right decisions and to do the right things in life.
Now as we have seen with all the fruits of God’s spirit, staying connected to God is the key, but there are some things God calls us to do to help this fruit develop in our lives, and the same is true for this gift of inner strength. According to Paul, living a God controlled life is similar to an athlete training for the big game, so we learn some keys to keeping God in control from 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.
Keeping God in control and drawing upon the inner strength God gives us means keeping our eyes on the prize (9:24). The prize we are talking about here is not a gold medal and it’s not fame and fortune, the prize of living a God controlled life is a life of power and discipline. When God is control we have the power of God dwelling within us so that we will be able to do more than we ever thought or imagined. Jesus himself said that with the spirit of God dwelling within us we will be able to do even greater things than he did and in Romans 8:11… In other words, if the same spirit and same power that helped Jesus overcome the grave is working in us, we will have the power available to us to do all things. Through Christ we can do all things. The prize of a life with God in control is that we can have a power and strength available to us when we face all kinds of problems in the world around us, who wouldn’t want the power of God working within them?
But it’s not just the power of God that motivates us, the prize of a God controlled life is also the full and rich fruit of God’s spirit. When God is in control we will experience more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and inner strength. With all the craziness we see around us today, with all the uncertainty, disillusionment, brokenness and pain we see and experience on a daily basis, who wouldn’t want a life filled with this fruit? The prize we need to keep focused on is a life filled with God’s power and life filled with the fruit of God’s spirit, and this powerful, spirit filled life is better than anything we can experience in this world on our own.
Not only do we need to keep our eyes on the prize but we also need to train ourselves, or discipline ourselves, to constantly draw upon the strength that God gives us (9:25). Just as an athlete won’t stay in top competitive shape unless they keep training, neither will we keep God in control of our lives unless we learn how to draw upon God’s strength. Once we ask God to be in control, He will be there, God will be there with his strength, but we have to learn how to draw upon it. Turning to and using the inner strength of God will not come naturally to us, in fact, I think our default position is to trust in and rely upon ourselves, to turn to our strength and ability, so we need to train ourselves to turn to God and look for his strength and use his power. We can turn to God through worship or prayer to find his strength; we can turn to God’s word or God’s people to find his strength. While there are many different ways we can discipline ourselves to turn to God, the important thing is that we learn to do it. The important thing is turn to God at all times so that when we find ourselves in need, we will turn to God first.
To keep God in control we also need to keep focused (9:26). Runners don’t run aimlessly and boxers don’t beat at the air, in other words, they don’t get distracted – they stay focused. It is easy today, to get distracted from a God controlled life. There are so many voices out there telling us that we can do it on our own if we will just try harder. From infomercials to self help books we are bombarded with new ideas and new programs to help us maintain self discipline and control, but the simple truth is that on our own, we will only get so far. Trusting in our own strength will eventually lead us to frustration and failure. True strength and a lasting power that will help us overcome problems and experience the fullness of life will only be found when we keep God in control and stay connected to Him.
Not only are there many voices saying we can do it on our own, there are also a lot of voices, a growing number of voices that say we don’t need God at all. Recent studies have shown that the number of people who identify themselves as atheists is growing and they are getting bold in their message that people don’t need God to be good. In the days to come there will be a growing number of voices that will try to distract us and pull us away from God so we need to keep focused and always remember that we can not live a self controlled life for very long, without the inner strength that God gives us. We must keep God in control – we must stay connected to God.
And so we come back to where it all began – the key to a God disciplined life and the key to experiencing the fruit of God’s spirit is to stay connected to God through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus said, I am the vine you are the branch, apart from me you can do nothing. Outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ where we trust God to forgive us and the spirit of God to dwell within us, we will bear no fruit. So to experience love, joy peace, patience kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and God’s inner strength we must surrender ourselves fully to God and moment by moment, day by day ask God to be in control of our lives.
Today as we turn to the last of the fruit listed here, I want to be clear about two things. The first is that each of the fruits listed here builds upon the others. The foundation of a Christ-like character begins with love; God’s love at work in our lives. Nothing happens without the love of God, but once that love takes hold, we begin to experience joy and then our hearts and minds will be at peace. With God’s peace reigning in our lives comes the ability to be patient and kind with one another and as kindness grows, so does faithfulness, goodness and gentleness. So we need to be clear, we will never experience self-control until the rest of these qualities have taken hold in our lives. One of the problems we face is that too often we want this self-control, we want disciplined lives, but we don’t want to go through the process and the work needed to get there. There is no magic pill and there is no simple solution to self-control, it only comes as the fruit of God’s spirit grows in our lives and that only comes as we place more and more of our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
That we need more of this discipline and control in our lives, however, is clear, the signs of our out of control lives are all around us. We have a hard time controlling our spending and so we are a nation of people with mounting personal debt. We have a hard time controlling our eating habits so we are nation that struggles with the epidemic of obesity and we are passing this out of control behavior on to our children. Fully 1/3 of all adults and children are considered to be obese. We also have a hard time controlling our lust so sexual addictions are becoming more and more common and infidelity in marriage continues to rise, even inside the church Everywhere we turn we see signs that we are living out of control lives, and while it has taken us decades to get here, we always seem to want the quick fix that will immediately help us regain discipline and control – but there aren’t an easy answers. Self control comes at the end of the list of spiritual fruit because it only comes as we grow in our spiritual depth and maturity. The only way we will experience more discipline in our lives is to first allow the spirit of God to bring us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness because it will be the combination of this fruit which will help us become more disciplined and directed in our lives. So there is no easy answer to self-control, but it can and it will develop in our lives as we seek more of God’s spirit and power.
Now the second thing to understand about self control is that we really are not talking about SELF control at all. The Greek word for self control comes from two different words, in and strength, so self control really means inner strength. Now if the inner strength that we rely upon and trust in to help us become more disciplined comes from our self, we will be destined for frustration and failure. We know this is true because we have all been there. We try to exercise self control in so many different ways, diet, exercise, budgets, abstinence, and while we might do well for a while, eventually, we fail. Lasting discipline and control only comes from an inner strength which finds its source in God. It is only God who gives us the strength to make the right decisions and do the right things at all the right times. It is only when we are walking in the spirit of God, or drawing upon the strength of God, that we will find ultimate victory and a lasting success in life, so we really aren’t talking about self control at all, what we are talking about is God control. Self control is really a life that is fully surrendered to and controlled by the spirit of God.
So if we want to live a disciplined life, we start by asking God to take control of our lives and give us the strength and power we need to make the right decisions and do the right things, and if we ask God to take control, God will. When we surrender ourselves to God, God will not only receive us, but God will fill us with his power and strength. In fact, I believe God is just waiting for us to come to him and ask so that He can give us His strength. Last week we looked at the story of the sinful and broken woman who meets Jesus at the well. She comes during the heat of the day because her life is out of control, she has failed miserably in trying to live life on her own and one of the things Jesus says to her is, if you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you give me a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water. Jesus was waiting at the well to give her the gift of God’s spirit. God is waiting here today to give us the gift of his strength so that we can draw upon it in times of weakness, temptation and need. God is right here waiting, and he is ready to give us the gift of inner strength if we will just ask.
So let’s just ask. Let’s just stop here and ask God for his strength and power. If you have tried to bring discipline and order to your life and have failed, or if you are in need of an inner strength that will not let you down when the temptations get strong, then join me in asking God to bring us his power and strength.
Prayer
Now asking God to take control is just the beginning, we now have to get serious and live each and every day keeping God in control and honestly, that’s a battle. If we turn back to Galatians 5 but go back a few verses we see how Paul talks about this battle for control. 5:16-17
When Paul says to live by the Spirit what he is saying is that we need to live each day with the spirit of God in control, but this is a battle because our desire to be in control is pretty, strong and many times our desire – or our flesh – is opposed to God. So the battle for control is fierce and just asking God to take control once is not enough, in many ways, asking God to take control and to be in control is an ongoing way of life and it is a way of life that we need to get serious about. Every moment of every day we need to draw upon the inner strength God gives us and use this power to help us make the right decisions and to do the right things in life.
Now as we have seen with all the fruits of God’s spirit, staying connected to God is the key, but there are some things God calls us to do to help this fruit develop in our lives, and the same is true for this gift of inner strength. According to Paul, living a God controlled life is similar to an athlete training for the big game, so we learn some keys to keeping God in control from 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.
Keeping God in control and drawing upon the inner strength God gives us means keeping our eyes on the prize (9:24). The prize we are talking about here is not a gold medal and it’s not fame and fortune, the prize of living a God controlled life is a life of power and discipline. When God is control we have the power of God dwelling within us so that we will be able to do more than we ever thought or imagined. Jesus himself said that with the spirit of God dwelling within us we will be able to do even greater things than he did and in Romans 8:11… In other words, if the same spirit and same power that helped Jesus overcome the grave is working in us, we will have the power available to us to do all things. Through Christ we can do all things. The prize of a life with God in control is that we can have a power and strength available to us when we face all kinds of problems in the world around us, who wouldn’t want the power of God working within them?
But it’s not just the power of God that motivates us, the prize of a God controlled life is also the full and rich fruit of God’s spirit. When God is in control we will experience more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and inner strength. With all the craziness we see around us today, with all the uncertainty, disillusionment, brokenness and pain we see and experience on a daily basis, who wouldn’t want a life filled with this fruit? The prize we need to keep focused on is a life filled with God’s power and life filled with the fruit of God’s spirit, and this powerful, spirit filled life is better than anything we can experience in this world on our own.
Not only do we need to keep our eyes on the prize but we also need to train ourselves, or discipline ourselves, to constantly draw upon the strength that God gives us (9:25). Just as an athlete won’t stay in top competitive shape unless they keep training, neither will we keep God in control of our lives unless we learn how to draw upon God’s strength. Once we ask God to be in control, He will be there, God will be there with his strength, but we have to learn how to draw upon it. Turning to and using the inner strength of God will not come naturally to us, in fact, I think our default position is to trust in and rely upon ourselves, to turn to our strength and ability, so we need to train ourselves to turn to God and look for his strength and use his power. We can turn to God through worship or prayer to find his strength; we can turn to God’s word or God’s people to find his strength. While there are many different ways we can discipline ourselves to turn to God, the important thing is that we learn to do it. The important thing is turn to God at all times so that when we find ourselves in need, we will turn to God first.
To keep God in control we also need to keep focused (9:26). Runners don’t run aimlessly and boxers don’t beat at the air, in other words, they don’t get distracted – they stay focused. It is easy today, to get distracted from a God controlled life. There are so many voices out there telling us that we can do it on our own if we will just try harder. From infomercials to self help books we are bombarded with new ideas and new programs to help us maintain self discipline and control, but the simple truth is that on our own, we will only get so far. Trusting in our own strength will eventually lead us to frustration and failure. True strength and a lasting power that will help us overcome problems and experience the fullness of life will only be found when we keep God in control and stay connected to Him.
Not only are there many voices saying we can do it on our own, there are also a lot of voices, a growing number of voices that say we don’t need God at all. Recent studies have shown that the number of people who identify themselves as atheists is growing and they are getting bold in their message that people don’t need God to be good. In the days to come there will be a growing number of voices that will try to distract us and pull us away from God so we need to keep focused and always remember that we can not live a self controlled life for very long, without the inner strength that God gives us. We must keep God in control – we must stay connected to God.
And so we come back to where it all began – the key to a God disciplined life and the key to experiencing the fruit of God’s spirit is to stay connected to God through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus said, I am the vine you are the branch, apart from me you can do nothing. Outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ where we trust God to forgive us and the spirit of God to dwell within us, we will bear no fruit. So to experience love, joy peace, patience kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and God’s inner strength we must surrender ourselves fully to God and moment by moment, day by day ask God to be in control of our lives.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Fruit of the Spirit ~ Gentleness
Today we are going to look at gentleness and the word for gentleness that Paul uses in Galatians 5:23 is the same word Jesus uses in his sermon on the mount when he says, Blessed are the meek – for they shall inherit the earth. The Greek word praetus is defined both as meekness and gentleness, but it does not mean being weak. We often have this idea that being meek or gentle means being soft and weak, but that is simply not true. The way gentleness or meekness is defined is as one having great power and strength but being able to keep that power under control. Think of a horse, they have incredible strength and power but once the horse is trained that power has been brought under control, and once that power is under control, a horse can be incredibly gentle. We see this kind of gentleness in Jesus when he was questioned after his arrest. During his trial, Jesus faced all kinds of false accusations and instead of lashing out in anger to speak the truth and set the record straight, Jesus kept silent. He kept his power under control. Think about Jesus on the cross. When he not only could have come down from the cross and saved himself but called down an army of angels to fight with him and for him, and yet chose to submit himself to God – that’s being gentle. So gentleness is nothing like weakness, it is true power and strength under control, under our control and under God’s control.
Now as we have seen with all the fruit of God’s spirit, the reason we are to be gentle and the reason gentleness will flow through us as we stay connected to God is because God himself if gentle. To understand what the gentleness of God looks like and how we can begin to live it out in our lives, let’s look at the life of Jesus. Turn to John 4:1-18, 28-30, 39-42.
The first thing we learn about the gentleness of God is that it waits patiently for us to come to him. Jesus is sitting at the well waiting for the woman to come to him. I don’t believe there are any random encounters Jesus has with people – he knows this woman is coming to the well at noon and so he waits for her. Now the woman arrives in the middle of the day because she is an outcast. The middle of the day was hottest time to be carrying water from the well outside the village into your home, so women came to draw water either early in the morning, or early in the evening when it was cool. You only carried jars of water back and forth during the heat of the day if you either weren’t welcome by the other women or you didn’t want to deal with their harsh words and criticism. When we find out that this woman has had 5 husbands and is currently living with man #6 we begin to understand why she came alone during the middle of the day. Either she was forced out by the others, or she got tired of hearing their hurtful words and harsh condemnation. While no one else wanted to be seen with her, it is the gentleness of God that causes Jesus to stay and wait.
In the movie the horse whisperer, there is a scene where a horse has been spooked by a cell phone and runs off to the far end of a pasture and instead of yelling at the horse to return, the horse whisperer simply sits in the pasture and waits. Slowly the wild animal is drawn to the man and eventually the horse inches close enough to touch him. Once the horse is close enough, the horse whisper is able to speak soft words that comfort and change the wild nature of the horse so that it can be led back into the security of the stall. Isn’t that what we see Jesus doing here as he sits and waits at the well? He obviously knows the rebellion and the fear of this woman and instead of yelling at her, and instead of words that are harsh and critical, Jesus simply waits and he welcomes the woman when she arrives.
This is God’s gentleness in action and this is often how God’s gentleness works in our own lives. Like the woman at the well, we have all rebelled and at times we have all made some poor choices in life, choices that have separated us from God and from those around us, and while God in his holiness and power could simply condemn us for our sin, God doesn’t. God is gentle with us and many times God just waits for us to return. That’s not just the image of God we see in Jesus, but this is the truth of God taught to us by Jesus. In Jesus story of the prodigal son, when the son finally returns home after wild and wasteful living, the father is waiting. And he’s not waiting to judge and condemn, he’s waiting to reach and forgive. In Luke 15:20 is one of the most powerful lines of scripture, it says while the young son was still a long way off, his father saw him. The father saw his rebellious son return home because he was looking for him. The father was scanning the horizon waiting for and hoping that his wild son would return home, and when he sees him, instead of lashing out in anger, the father forgives him and welcomes him. Again, this is the gentleness of God in action. Even though we have sinned and fallen short of God’s will for us, instead of lashing out in anger, God is gentle and waits for us to come to him and when we do – God forgives and God welcomes us home.
This is not only how God’s gentleness works in our lives, but it is how God’s gentleness needs to be working through us in the lives of others. One of the most powerful ways we can help others is to simply wait for those who are hurting and broken to come to us for help. Too often we are quick to pass judgment and speak words that condemn, but if the spirit of God is working within us then we will become gentle and simply wait in patience and love for people to come to us and when they do, we must again be gentle and offer them God’s grace and love.
Notice the grace and love that Jesus offers the woman when she finally arrives at the well. Just speaking to her is a sign that Jesus values her. The traditions of Jesus day said that men did not talk with unknown women and Jews did not talk with Samaritans. In fact, not only did Jews not speak to Samaritans, they would never touch anything a Samaritan had touched or else they would be considered unclean. So when Jesus asks her to draw water for him, it’s not because he is thirsty – it’s because she is. She is thirsty for acceptance. She needs to know that she has value and worth and Jesus offers her that by simply asking her for a drink. As the conversation continues Jesus lifts her up even more by saying that he would be willing to offer her the gift of living water so that she would never be thirsty again. The gentleness of God is at work here because instead of lashing out at in righteous anger, Jesus offers God’s grace and mercy.
What’s amazing to see in this story is what this gentleness of God does in this woman’s life. It changes her and it changes the people around her. Once she has been accepted by Jesus she seeks more. She asks Jesus questions about God and the coming of the Messiah and she is so taken with Jesus response and his gentleness that she returns home and invites her family and friends to come and meet Jesus as well. Like ripples in a pond, the gentleness of God spreads out further and further and touches the hearts and lives of more and more people. This is the real power of God’s gentleness, it touches people and it changes their lives, and then through changed hearts and lives, God can touch and change others.
So God is gentle with us and his gentleness forgives us and changes us and it brings us to a place of new life, and while the gentleness of God will help us be gentle with others, the scriptures make it clear that we are called to be gentle with one another.
In Titus 3:2 it says we are to be peaceable and considerate and to show true humility (or gentleness) toward everyone.
In 1 Tim. 6:11 Paul says we are to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
In 2 Tim 2:25, Paul says we are to gently instruct others in the hopes that God will grant them repentance and knowledge of the truth. That’s exactly what Jesus did with the woman at the well, he gentle instructed her. Jesus pointed out the truth about her life and he led her to a place of grace. Gentleness is speaking the truth in love and then being willing to be there for people as they deal with the problems and the pain in their lives.
As we seek to be gentle with one another, let’s be clear that we don’t do this on our own; we do this only by submitting ourselves to God and allow God to do it through us. The author Charles Allen says, pride comes from looking only at ourselves, but gentleness comes by looking at God. If we think we can be gentle toward one another on our own, we will fail. Gentleness only comes as we look to God allow His gentle touch to change our lives.
Now as we have seen with all the fruit of God’s spirit, the reason we are to be gentle and the reason gentleness will flow through us as we stay connected to God is because God himself if gentle. To understand what the gentleness of God looks like and how we can begin to live it out in our lives, let’s look at the life of Jesus. Turn to John 4:1-18, 28-30, 39-42.
The first thing we learn about the gentleness of God is that it waits patiently for us to come to him. Jesus is sitting at the well waiting for the woman to come to him. I don’t believe there are any random encounters Jesus has with people – he knows this woman is coming to the well at noon and so he waits for her. Now the woman arrives in the middle of the day because she is an outcast. The middle of the day was hottest time to be carrying water from the well outside the village into your home, so women came to draw water either early in the morning, or early in the evening when it was cool. You only carried jars of water back and forth during the heat of the day if you either weren’t welcome by the other women or you didn’t want to deal with their harsh words and criticism. When we find out that this woman has had 5 husbands and is currently living with man #6 we begin to understand why she came alone during the middle of the day. Either she was forced out by the others, or she got tired of hearing their hurtful words and harsh condemnation. While no one else wanted to be seen with her, it is the gentleness of God that causes Jesus to stay and wait.
In the movie the horse whisperer, there is a scene where a horse has been spooked by a cell phone and runs off to the far end of a pasture and instead of yelling at the horse to return, the horse whisperer simply sits in the pasture and waits. Slowly the wild animal is drawn to the man and eventually the horse inches close enough to touch him. Once the horse is close enough, the horse whisper is able to speak soft words that comfort and change the wild nature of the horse so that it can be led back into the security of the stall. Isn’t that what we see Jesus doing here as he sits and waits at the well? He obviously knows the rebellion and the fear of this woman and instead of yelling at her, and instead of words that are harsh and critical, Jesus simply waits and he welcomes the woman when she arrives.
This is God’s gentleness in action and this is often how God’s gentleness works in our own lives. Like the woman at the well, we have all rebelled and at times we have all made some poor choices in life, choices that have separated us from God and from those around us, and while God in his holiness and power could simply condemn us for our sin, God doesn’t. God is gentle with us and many times God just waits for us to return. That’s not just the image of God we see in Jesus, but this is the truth of God taught to us by Jesus. In Jesus story of the prodigal son, when the son finally returns home after wild and wasteful living, the father is waiting. And he’s not waiting to judge and condemn, he’s waiting to reach and forgive. In Luke 15:20 is one of the most powerful lines of scripture, it says while the young son was still a long way off, his father saw him. The father saw his rebellious son return home because he was looking for him. The father was scanning the horizon waiting for and hoping that his wild son would return home, and when he sees him, instead of lashing out in anger, the father forgives him and welcomes him. Again, this is the gentleness of God in action. Even though we have sinned and fallen short of God’s will for us, instead of lashing out in anger, God is gentle and waits for us to come to him and when we do – God forgives and God welcomes us home.
This is not only how God’s gentleness works in our lives, but it is how God’s gentleness needs to be working through us in the lives of others. One of the most powerful ways we can help others is to simply wait for those who are hurting and broken to come to us for help. Too often we are quick to pass judgment and speak words that condemn, but if the spirit of God is working within us then we will become gentle and simply wait in patience and love for people to come to us and when they do, we must again be gentle and offer them God’s grace and love.
Notice the grace and love that Jesus offers the woman when she finally arrives at the well. Just speaking to her is a sign that Jesus values her. The traditions of Jesus day said that men did not talk with unknown women and Jews did not talk with Samaritans. In fact, not only did Jews not speak to Samaritans, they would never touch anything a Samaritan had touched or else they would be considered unclean. So when Jesus asks her to draw water for him, it’s not because he is thirsty – it’s because she is. She is thirsty for acceptance. She needs to know that she has value and worth and Jesus offers her that by simply asking her for a drink. As the conversation continues Jesus lifts her up even more by saying that he would be willing to offer her the gift of living water so that she would never be thirsty again. The gentleness of God is at work here because instead of lashing out at in righteous anger, Jesus offers God’s grace and mercy.
What’s amazing to see in this story is what this gentleness of God does in this woman’s life. It changes her and it changes the people around her. Once she has been accepted by Jesus she seeks more. She asks Jesus questions about God and the coming of the Messiah and she is so taken with Jesus response and his gentleness that she returns home and invites her family and friends to come and meet Jesus as well. Like ripples in a pond, the gentleness of God spreads out further and further and touches the hearts and lives of more and more people. This is the real power of God’s gentleness, it touches people and it changes their lives, and then through changed hearts and lives, God can touch and change others.
So God is gentle with us and his gentleness forgives us and changes us and it brings us to a place of new life, and while the gentleness of God will help us be gentle with others, the scriptures make it clear that we are called to be gentle with one another.
In Titus 3:2 it says we are to be peaceable and considerate and to show true humility (or gentleness) toward everyone.
In 1 Tim. 6:11 Paul says we are to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
In 2 Tim 2:25, Paul says we are to gently instruct others in the hopes that God will grant them repentance and knowledge of the truth. That’s exactly what Jesus did with the woman at the well, he gentle instructed her. Jesus pointed out the truth about her life and he led her to a place of grace. Gentleness is speaking the truth in love and then being willing to be there for people as they deal with the problems and the pain in their lives.
As we seek to be gentle with one another, let’s be clear that we don’t do this on our own; we do this only by submitting ourselves to God and allow God to do it through us. The author Charles Allen says, pride comes from looking only at ourselves, but gentleness comes by looking at God. If we think we can be gentle toward one another on our own, we will fail. Gentleness only comes as we look to God allow His gentle touch to change our lives.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)