Chaplain’s Corner – Godliness

May8

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:3-7). 

I love lists. I am a list-maker. Lists help me to organize my thoughts, my agenda, my daily and life-time goals. I like to think I am organized and need to believe that I am productive and progressing. My husband just calls me obsessive. 

Anyway, for that reason, I have always been attracted to this passage in 2 Peter, because it is so logical and progressive. One way to read it would be: Do not just have faith but demonstrate the fruit of your faith by doing good things. Do not just do good things but gain knowledge. Do not have knowledge just to have knowledge but use it wisely and be self-controlled. In being self-controlled, be persistent and constant; and in doing so, be godly. In being godly, have good relationships with others; and last but certainly not least, do all in love. 

It is assumed that we start with faith, which is the gift of God for those who believe. In the first part of this passage, Peter tells us that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have everything we need for a godly life. By knowing God and Jesus Christ our Lord, we can participate in all His promises and overcome the corruption of the world. Who would not want that? Our part is to make every effort to pursue a godly life; in other words, follow Jesus as His disciple, obedient to His will. 

All this sounds basic, fundamental, and therefore, perhaps a “no-brainer.” However, when we ponder God and His great love for us, along with and his Holy, Holy, Holiness, we might begin to see some contradictions in ourselves. Especially if we are honest with ourselves and really seek to be convicted of anything that would be displeasing to God. That is because God, who loves each of us with an unfailing love, absolutely hates—cannot tolerate—sin. And we are all sinners.  

My husband, our sons, and several of our grandchildren like to bow hunt, and in doing so they practice with targets. In shooting an arrow into a target, the goal would be to hit the bullseye, the very center of the target. Anything off center is missing the target, the mark. That is a particularly good definition of sin. The target is perfection, holiness, sinlessness. Anything off center is missing the mark; it is sin. It can be sin of commission—doing something you should not do, or it can be a sin of omission—failing to do something that you should have done. God is three-fold holy, perfection. He says to us: Be holy, as I am holy.  

Speaking to believers now: if we love God, and if we desire to pursue holiness, we must, therefore, hate sin just like He does. We must, as Paul explains, make every effort to put off our sin. But it is important to distinguish between the sin and the sinner. As believers in and followers of Christ, we are sinners saved by grace. We are covered by the blood of Jesus. When the great day of the Lord comes, as described in Matthew 25, we will be counted among the sheep, destined for heaven, only because of the grace and love of our God and Lord and Savior. And when we come before Jesus at the Great White Throne of Judgment, we will not be at risk of eternal damnation, but we will be accountable for what we have done and we will be eligible for rewards, crowns, again because of His love and mercy. 

To circle back around, all this is not a pass. We cannot freely sin, make up our own rules, rationalize our behavior, or condone sin in any way, just because we have received Christ as our Savior. Paul writes in Romans 6:15 “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!”  So, in our pursuit of holiness, obedience, and desire to please God, I am beginning a series on the topic of godliness. And my prayer is that everything that I write will be truth, that it will be written with love for God and love for each reader, and that it will be received in love, for that is my intention. 

In Christ, 

Judy 

Chaplain’s Corner – In the Interim

May1

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14).

Last week we talked about waiting. Waiting assumes a space in time between two events. I have finished my grocery shopping and now I am waiting in line to check out. I have had some medical tests and now I am waiting for a diagnosis. Sometimes the waiting is just that: some space in time. Today is Wednesday, and on Friday you will get paid. The difficulty here may be that you have bills to pay in the interim and you do not know how you will manage. The really challenging kind of waiting assumes some unknown factor. The doctor says he will have test results in three days, but you do not know what the diagnosis or follow up treatment will be. A really good friend of ours has just been told that his cancer has metastasized, and he has at most six months. This is a particularly challenging time of waiting for him, his family, and for all of his friends.

The question is: what will we do while we wait? Last week we talked about prayer, the first and foremost way to ensure we are living God’s plan for our lives, even during the waiting.

In the interim, we struggle to know what, when, and how to speak and act. When is it best to listen, and when should we speak up? When is it best to act, and when should we wait patiently? When should we accept the situation, and when should we fight? All questions, and no ready answers. So, when we pray, we pray for discernment. When we have these choices to make, we should ask ourselves:  Would our words or actions align with biblical teaching. For example,

  1. Praying that God be glorified in our words and actions is never wrong.
  2. Showing compassion and kindness is never wrong.
  3. Sitting with and listening is never wrong.

In many cases, it is in the waiting that real leadership surfaces. When everyone else is just sitting around complaining and being anxious, the real leader assesses the situation and takes charge.

In Acts, we see Peter begin to demonstrate his “take charge” approach that will lead him into a leadership role in the early church. “During these days, Peter stood up among the ‘brothers” – the number of people who were together was about 120 – and said: ‘Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David spoke in advance about Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. (Acts 1:15-16). Taking his direction from the Book of Psalms “Let his dwelling become desolate; let no one live in it; and let someone else take his position” (Psalms 69:25, Acts 1:20), Based on the Scriptures, Peter proposed that they choose someone to take Judas’ place to round out their number once again to twelve.

Lastly, it is all about perspective. Actually, when are we NOT waiting? Isn’t life all about waiting, in a sense? Parents learn that they are pregnant. Waiting. It is an expectant time, full of preparation for the new life to be born. We look at a gravestone with a date of birth and a date of death. The dash in the middle—waiting. Sometimes waiting with expectancy, sometimes with dread, sometimes with impatience, sometimes with resignation. We are always waiting.

Let us resolve not to waste a minute on unproductive waiting. God has made us fruit-bearers. So, whether we have just been planted, the flowers are blooming, the buds are setting, or the fruit is maturing, let us be productive. Praying, praising God, teaching, modeling, showing love and compassion.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Wait For It!

Apr24

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5).

According to the church calendar, we are currently between Jesus’ Resurrection and Pentecost, which occurred after Jesus’ ascension to heaven to be seated at the right hand of His Father. (We will celebrate Pentecost on May 19, 2024). Jesus has commanded his disciples to stay in Jerusalem to wait for their baptism with the Holy Spirit. In hindsight, we understand what Jesus meant. However, the disciples must have been filled with quite a bit of uncertainty. They asked questions, but Jesus told them “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority (Acts 1:7). And then Jesus did promise them “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). What???

What must it have felt like to the disciples during that time? Their beloved leader said he was leaving, but they needed to stay in Jerusalem, a dangerous place for them. Jesus told them just enough to give them hope. He told them to wait for the gift he had promised. Apparently, they would be traveling soon. And they would have power from the Holy Spirit, which perhaps they had some idea about but not fully. And Jesus gave them the ultimate ambiguous command: Wait!

Does anyone like to be told to wait? Indeed, does anyone like to wait? For sure, there are rare circumstances where waiting is better than the alternative. But mostly, waiting is painful. We wait for the doctor, the diagnosis, the treatment date, to recover. We wait for the plane to take off. We wait for the interview, the offer, the start date. We find ourselves in the middle of waiting: for someone to show up, for someone to leave, for the show to start, for the game to be over. Waiting is a fact of life. It is not if we will wait, it is how we wait.

In truth, on an earthly level, we are waiting for all those things I listed above—health, financial, job, relationships; all have a waiting component. However, on a spiritual level, we are also waiting. And although it might not be obvious, God is working while we are waiting. We are on his timetable, rather than the other way around. God is working out his plan for his good pleasure. He has a role for each of us, and he will put us in at just the right time. He will give us our directions and ensure that we have just what we need when we need it. So how do we wait for it?

  1. We wait in humility, with the perspective that God is God, and we are not. “You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure” (Psalm 39:5).
  2. We wait with trust in God. We know that He is able, and that He is loving. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Psalm 103:8).

The apostles gave us the best example of how to wait, and their example is applicable for most any circumstance. We read in Acts 1:13-14 that after Jesus ascended to heaven, they returned to Jerusalem together (as instructed), and “When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers” (Acts 1:13-14).

The next time you find yourself waiting, remember these words. Find some prayer partners and devote yourselves to prayer. Prayer is not what we do as a last resort. It is the first and foremost way to participate fully in God’s plan for our lives.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for him.’” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – I Can Do No Other!

Apr16

“Mary Magdalen went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And she told them that he had said these things to her” (John 20:18).

Easter Sunday was just a little over two weeks ago. Now it seems that we are all back to “business as usual.” Was Easter just another day on the calendar? No! Not for believers. Knowing that Jesus was crucified for our sins, rose from the dead, and ascended to Heaven to be with his Father demands a response from us. And do not be deceived: no response is a response. In His words: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Matthew 12:30).

Reflecting on the events preceding Easter, I cannot imagine the roller coaster ride the disciples took from the day they entered Jerusalem during Passover Week on a high note, enjoying intimacy with Jesus during the Passover supper, then seeing him arrested, beaten, humiliated, and then crucified and buried. And then to see him risen from the dead! How could this be?

What emotions! We would expect joy, but there was also fear, for very good reason. In fact, the first thing the angel in the tomb said to Mary was “Don’t be alarmed. He is risen! He is not here.” “Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid” (Mark 16:6b,8).

I am sure Jesus’ family and friends were experiencing a variety of emotions from grief to disbelief, to fear. They had aligned themselves with a man who had become an enemy of both the Jewish leaders and the Romans, to the point where he had been cruelly murdered. They thought they had chosen to follow the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but their guy had been hung up on a cross in between common criminals. What was to be their own fate? They were in hiding, trying to figure out what to do. Leaderless, unaffiliated, unemployed, in a hostile environment. The situation could not have been worse.

Not only that, unbeknownst to them, the guards and priests were devising a cover story to put the blame on the disciples for stealing Jesus’ body. They were afraid that they would get in trouble with the governor of Judea, so now any punishment for “losing” Jesus would fall on the disciples. Where do you hide, now? Just try to absorb all this and put yourselves in their shoes. It has gone from bad to worse. But then!

“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again, Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’” (John 20:19-23).

What a roller coaster ride! Jesus is with them. Now He is blessing them and giving them the power of the Holy Spirit as He sends them forth. And they are obedient, even at risk of personal, financial, and physical harm. Jesus loves his followers; He calls us to tell the story of the Good News to all who would believe. What a story! What a Savior! Like those first apostles, how can we keep this Good News to ourselves, especially when the only real risk in our day and time is perhaps some unpopularity.

Easter represents the Resurrection of Jesus to all believers. As believers, we identify with Jesus and his message. He sends us forth to tell the Good News of forgiveness of sins through his atoning sacrifice. When we believe, we must share this Good News!

In the words of Martin Luther: “Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.”

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Leadership

Apr10

“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7).

We have just completed a study of Hebrews in the Tuesday Bible Study. The last chapter, Chapter 13, includes some instruction to this audience of Jewish Christians who are living in an uncertain world where persecution and false teaching is prevalent. The author is instructing them on how to live their lives in this culture, which unfortunately, closely resembles our own. Therefore, these instructions are applicable also to us.

The focus of this devotional is two verses in Chapter 13 that speak to leadership. The presumption in verse 7 (quoted above) is that the leaders live a way of life that we as followers should imitate. Some of you might quickly react that the leaders you know do not live lives you would want to imitate, and that may be a valid point.

However, I urge you to consider another viewpoint. There is not a staff position at Nashville Rescue Mission that does not include a leadership element. That is because the people we serve are being led by us. Each guest or program participant is subject to our authority as staff. And many of you also supervise staff and program participants.

With this viewpoint in mind, how would the people under your authority evaluate your way of life? If anyone has the opinion that this is judgmental, remember that we are known by our fruit. The people around us do not know us by our good intentions. They often do not care about the challenges we have endured. All they know is what they see and hear.

I pray that we will daily evaluate ourselves in light of this scripture, ask for conviction for where we fall short, and strive to carry out our work roles in a way that is skillful and gracious; that we will strive to be examples worthy of our calling, and that by our example we will lead others to faith in Christ and to a better way of life.

“Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you” (Hebrews 13:17).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – How Should We Then Live?

Apr3

“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:27-28).

We are so very blessed to live on this side of the cross. They had the promise of a Savior. We have the Savior! Those Old Testament heroes of the faith we see listed in Hebrews 11 “… were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect” (v39).

What was that something better that God had planned for us? We have Jesus! Thanks be to God for this indescribable gift!! We have God Himself coming to earth in the person of His Son, as a human, living a perfect life; the gift of His sacrificial atoning death, His miraculous resurrection, and His ascension to Heaven to resume his place sitting at the right hand of His Father. And because of this, we know that we too, we who believe, will also experience resurrection to live in eternity in unity with God. Praise God. This is our hope, and there is no other.

How should we then live? We should live in the truth of the resurrection: that this world is not our ultimate destination. Whatever we experience in each moment of our life on earth is preparation for our eternal life in Heaven. We can persevere because we already know our future. We have these words to live by from the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 15:54-58):

“When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality,

then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

How should we then live? “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

Jesus himself gave us these commandments, which Matthew recorded:

  • “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, ’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment (Matthew 22:37-38).
  • “And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:39-40).
  • “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Note: “How Should We Then Live” as a title and question in this devotional is borrowed from the title of a book by Francis Shaeffer.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Mercy Triumphs!

Mar31

“And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished….” (Exodus 34:6-7).

The verse quoted above is how God described Himself to Moses. We know that God has many attributes, and among those we celebrate most especially during this Holy Week are God’s Justice, God’s Love, and God’s Mercy.

God is a God of justice: He is holy, so he cannot abide sin. The verse above says that “he does not leave the guilty unpunished.” God gave the law to establish the Hebrews as his people and to set standards for how his people should live. The tablets upon which God’s hand wrote the Ten Commandments were physically located in the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. God commanded us to “Be holy, because I the Lord your God am Holy.”  Any time we are less than perfectly holy, we are in sin. And Paul tells us that “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

God is a God of love: In the opening verse, God tells us that he is “abounding in love in faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands.” And the New Testament reinforces this attribute. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8). “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

God is a God of mercy: God knows that as humans we are incapable of perfectly keeping his laws, of being free of sin. So, in His infinite mercy, when giving the law, he also set up a system of sacrifices which were the shedding of blood to atone for sin. And He placed a mercy seat on the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies to receive these sacrifices. “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22).

When Jesus was crucified and died on the cross, an amazing thing happened. The curtain in the temple tore, from top to bottom (humanly impossible). This represented the opening of the Holy of Holies. Jesus replaced the annual sacrificial lamb with his own life, once for all, to atone for the sins of the world. He figuratively entered the inner sanctuary as the Great High Priest, with this body as the atoning sacrifice; and we now have the privilege of following him there as priests, able to meet with God personally through Jesus’ sacrifice. Mercy Triumphs!

Mercy is an element of God’s grace by which he gives His son as the as the atonement for our sins.   “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Mercy is God’s kindness and compassion as He forgives us for our sin (see the opening verse). Mercy Triumphs!

What are we to do with this gift of love, this great mercy? James tells us to “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:12-13). In other words, we are to show to others the same mercy that we have been shown—the same patience, love, kindness, and forgiveness. There is a warning in this passage—don’t miss it! Don’t forfeit the gracious gift you have been offered by withholding grace, mercy, patience, love, and kindness to others.  “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.  And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”  (2 Corinthians 9:12-15).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – God’s Will

Mar20

He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Matthew 26:39 NLT).

Next week is Holy Week. We celebrate Palm Sunday, Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem to shouts of Hosanna, then all the subsequent events leading up to His crucifixion on Friday, and finally His resurrection which we celebrate on Easter Sunday.

These events were never a surprise to Jesus. Since his conception, he had been carrying out his Father’s will. In fact, just as Jesus was beginning his public ministry and encountered John the Baptist, John’s response on recognizing Jesus was, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). This statement would have identified Jesus as the sacrificial lamb, who was born to die to make atonement for all our sin. This was the will of God for Jesus.

We know that Jesus suffered. In fact, some 700 years before Jesus’ birth, Isaiah detailed the suffering Jesus would encounter (Isaiah 53:3-12). So how did Jesus live his earthly life with respect to his earthly destiny? And how should we follow His example?

Jesus was humble:

  • “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8).
  • And Paul admonishes us: “Your attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus” (v.5).

Jesus was thankful:

  • “At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do’” (Luke 10:21).
  • And Paul tells us: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. “(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Jesus was compassionate toward the least of these:

  • “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat” (Mark 8:2).
  • And Paul commands us: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ…Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3:1,12).

Jesus desired and worked toward salvation for everyone:

  • I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:26).
  • And Jesus commands and enables us to do the same by the power of the Holy Spirit: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8).

Jesus desired to glorify his Father with His obedience and his life:

  • Jesus prayed this prayer on his last night: “After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent…Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.’” (John 17:1-3, 20).
  • Paul and Peter tell us how we can glorify God in our life and our prayers: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31). 
  • “But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that name” (1 Pet. 4:16).

In short, Jesus came to earth to experience all the same earthly experiences that we as humans have. He took all the good and bad of his earthly life as an assignment from God–not an interruption, not an irritant, not an excuse, not a bother, not something to be endured. Instead, he took every opportunity to live in obedience, to trust His Heavenly Father, and to lead others to experience the Kingdom of God. Let us seek to do the same—to live our lives, to walk our Christian walk, not in resisting the will of God, but in seeking his will and desiring obedience in all things; offering love and compassion to those we serve.

“Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 53:10).

“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – March Madness

Mar13

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13).

Subtitle: Getting Off the Bench and Into the Game

As I write this, I am still celebrating the UT-Vols men’s win over South Carolina to secure the SEC Title. Now on to the SEC Tournament, then the NCAA Tournament, a/k/a March Madness. I am not a sports fanatic, but I do enjoy the contest between athletes. I played some sports in my early years, but now I mostly participate vicariously through my children and grandchildren. And because of my interest, I also appreciate the many sports analogies in the Bibie. I have included a link to a wonderful Table Talk article about this.

My two sons and their families are active in both individual and team sports. Some of my observations from watching them and from my own experience include the following:

First, you have to get off the bleachers and into the game. I go to the kid’s games—both soccer and basketball as well as their swim meets. There is a vast difference between being on the bleachers as a spectator and being on the field, court, or pool as an active participant.

And once in the game, you have to want the ball. In their first years of basketball at ages 5-6, my grandkids had as much fun (maybe more) sitting with their teammates on the sidelines as on the court. But my high school age granddaughter is amazing on the soccer field, yelling for the ball, and running her route to aggressively go after it. She hates being on the bench. It is like the difference between going to church occasionally and sitting in the back, slipping in, and slipping out, hoping not to be noticed, vs. showing up for every service and signing up to serve in some capacity. In other words, throw me the ball, coach, put me in!

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

Second, it is not all about the event itself. Most of the work is done in the preparation. Staying fit, learning the rules of the sport, and practicing so as to be ready when the whistle blows and the competition begins. One of my sons and his family also participate in various levels of triathlon events. They workout, run, swim, and bicycle daily with little exception, pushing themselves constantly; and as a result, they invariably “make the podium” for their events. I know I am bragging, but I am proud of them and the discipline they exhibit. Their example is a picture of what Paul tells us to do in 1 Timothy 4:7a-10:

“…train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.

Third, at some pre-determined point, the event will end, and the score will be tallied. The shots after the buzzer do not count. The laps after the finish line do not matter. In our earthly games, we know how many minutes are in the game, we know how many miles we must run to get to the finish line. In life, we do not know when the race is over. Only God knows.

Why am I making such a big deal of this? Because Paul does in these Scriptures. His focus is not on sports themselves, but on the metaphor for our participation in the Christian life. We are using sports metaphors, but the better comparison might be to warfare. In sports, it is a friendly competition, but in war it is life and death. And so it is with us as believers. In sports we have an opponent; in warfare we have the enemy. In sports we should shake hands in the end, no matter who wins; in Christian warfare, there is no shaking hands. First we want to win souls to our side, the winning side. Then we want to vanquish the enemy. This takes the desire to go to battle and the discipline of preparedness.

God has placed us in a mission field with other Christian warriors. We are all on the same team with the same mission. Let us each do our part to diligently prepare ourselves for our mission and to eagerly play our role in this great cosmic battle, serving as a soldier of the cross. It is March; it is March Madness. It is two and one-half weeks until Holy Week, Good Friday, and Easter. Very shortly, we will be celebrating the sacrificial death of Christ in atonement for our sins, and His glorious Resurrection with its promise of Eternal Life for all of us. Our charge is to strengthen our own walk and share this wonderful news with everyone God puts in our path. Put me in, coach!!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

In Christ,

Judy