No, God doesn’t think you’re a badass

Over the years, I’ve seen this meme make the rounds of social media multiple times:

God only gives us what we can handle.
Apparently, God thinks I’m a badass.

We might snicker at this (I did), but after reading it, it’s very easy to puff out our chests a little bit and think, “Yeah.  Look at all the crap I’ve dealt with.  God must think I’m pretty tough to handle going through this.”

The problem with this kind of thinking is that it is very self-centered – which is the total opposite of what is taught by God in the Scriptures.  Here are examples from both the Old Testament and New Testament:

Proverbs 16:18
Pride comes before destruction,
and an arrogant spirit before a fall.

James 4:6
But He gives greater grace.  Therefore He says:

God resists the proud
but gives grace to the humble.

So…this notion of “God only gives us what we can handle” must’ve come from somewhere, right?  Then where did people get the idea from?

Turns out that “God only gives us what we can handle” is based upon Scripture, from one of Paul’s letters to the believers in a town named Corinth…but it’s a verse that’s been twisted a bit.  Here’s the actual text:

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity.  But God is faithful; He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.

While you can see how “God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able…to bear” can morph into “God only gives you what you can handle” – it’s also pretty clear that Paul is not talking about all of life’s circumstances that come our way.  Paul’s only talking about the times that we are tempted to do the wrong thing…and God’s help in this will be to provide the way out (even if the way He provides isn’t a way we would prefer to go).

And lest you think that it’s ok to stretch this verse to include any/all of life’s circumstances…Paul’s own experiences warn us how that’s not accurate.  In a second letter he wrote to the believers in Corinth, Paul had this to tell them:

2 Corinthians 1:8
We don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia.  We were completely overwhelmed – beyond our strength – so that we even despaired of life itself. 

That sounds like they got more affliction than they could handle.  Paul continued:

2 Corinthians 1:9
Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.

Paul recognized that if they puffed out their chests and relied on how tough they were, they were as good as dead.  Looking back, Paul sees that God allowed a completely overwhelming situation so that they would not trust in [themselves] but in God.  Because they humbled themselves, here’s the lesson they learned…and were later able to teach:

2 Corinthians 1:10-11
He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and He will deliver us.  We have put our hope in Him that He will deliver us again while you join in helping us by your prayers.  Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.

Paul learned that their completely overwhelming circumstance not only brought his team closer to God, but it also provided an opportunity for others to see God in action as He answers prayers.  That is a great way to look at our suffering and trials and difficulties in life – they can drive us (and others) closer to God, but not if we attack them with a puffed up sense of self.

So no, God does not think you’re a badass.  In fact, He knows for certain that none of us are.  Life is going to beat us down, sometimes to the point where we despair of life itself.  But that doesn’t mean we’re abandoned…instead, we can be like Paul and not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.  If He can raise the dead – and He can – then He can handle getting us through whatever life throws our way.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

That…was a God-thing

Last Sunday, which was Palm Sunday, I was the guest-preacher for our church.  It was the 5th week of a 5-part series titled, “Where is God when bad things happen?”.  Throughout this series, we looked at the story of Lazarus in John 11-12.  We asked many of the hard questions you might be afraid to ask in church, but we also found practical answers to our questions.

My message focused on the aftermath of the miracle of Jesus bringing Lazarus back from the dead, and we looked at how that event directly impacted Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.  In the weeks leading up to last Sunday, I knew the text and meaning I wanted to communicate…but I had to practice it a lot.  It would be the second time I had preached without notes, and there was a lot of going back and forth between teaching and going to the Scriptures projected up on the screens.

The message clocked at about 30-35 minutes and I practiced multiple times during the week prior.  So many times, in fact, that I was a little tired of going over it.  The problem was that there were two specific places that I kept drawing blanks on what I intended to say next.  I drilled on those spots in the message, but for some reason my brain was having trouble keeping those points in line. 

My typical nightly routine is to grab the NIV pocket New Testament on my nightstand, read a chapter or two and then maybe work on a sudoku puzzle until my brain finally shuts off.  As I went to bed on Saturday night, I mumbled “God, I hope you got something for me in here tonight.  I’m feeling really nervous about tomorrow.”  Now, I’m just reading through the NT from Matthew to Revelation, one chapter at a time.  The previous night, I had finished Romans, so 1 Corinthians was up next.  As I started Paul’s letter, here’s what I read:

1 Corinthians 1:4-5
I always thank God for you because of His grace given you in Christ Jesus.  For in Him you have been enriched in every way – in all your speaking and in all your knowledge

If I wasn’t lying down already, you probably could have knocked me over.

What’s great about this letter is that Paul wrote it to a church full of troubled, less-than-perfect people.  They had tons of questions and many topics that Paul had to correct them on.  And yet…Paul still says that in [Jesus] you have been enriched in every way – in all your speaking in all your knowledge.  So I went to sleep, at least a little comforted that God would help me with my speaking and my communication of knowledge the next morning.

I arrived at church early Sunday morning to run through the service with our tech team.  As I went through the message, giving direction to the volunteer running the slides, I had a TERRIBLE time remembering what I was going to say in between the slides.  In addition to the two places I struggled with all week, I was drawing complete blanks at points in the message that I had previously had no issues.  I keep my phone in my back pocket with my message on it for an “in case of emergency” moment, but I pulled it out 4 or 5 times during the run-through.  I was frustrated, to say the least.  I wasn’t aiming for perfection (I know that’s not a realistic goal), but the last thing I want is for my delivery to detract from the message I am trying to communicate.  Pausing multiple times to pull out my phone to remind myself of what I had personally written is not a good recipe for keeping everyone’s focus on God and what He’s up to in the Scriptures.

But there was nothing left to do.  No more time to prepare.  No printer available, and I hadn’t made an outline, anyway.  I told my sound guy, “If God doesn’t show up, then this thing’s not going to work.”  I went and took my seat near the front.  Just before the service started, our lead pastor leaned into me and prayed, “God, thank you for Ken.  Please give him what he needs when he needs it.”  After announcements and one song, I was up.

It wasn’t perfect – but then again, I wasn’t aiming for that.  What it was, was amazing.  I didn’t have to check my phone.  Not even once.  Sentences and ideas flowed easily.  The sticking points weren’t sticky.  Transitions between verses and ideas and back to verses were smooth.  God did show up, and He took me out of the way so that the message could be heard and relevant application was understood.

You can watch the message here.  I’ve rewatched it twice now – I still get caught up and nervous for myself, even though I know it was in the past.  That wasn’t “my performance” up there…that was God slowing me down and speaking through me.

It’s not the first time He’s shown up like that for me though, there are plenty of times I’ve re-read a blog post and thought, ”Where did that come from?  That’s too good to be just me.”  So I’m not necessarily surprised at what happened on Sunday…but I am keenly aware of what did happen, and grateful that it did.  For in Him, I have been enriched in every way.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

I was a bad neighbor. And I was embarrassed.

I was convinced that he saw me as a bad neighbor.  At least, I was pretty sure it was him. 

A few weeks ago, my wife and I were preparing our house to host a barbeque for a group of friends.  We had the typical “get ready for company” agenda: clean this, find a new place for that, make room for additional seating, buy last minute items.  We weren’t 100% sure what the weather would be like, and there was a strong possibility that we’d be spending time outside.  Let’s just say that I had let the outside upkeep chores slide a little bit over the previous month or two. 

So the day before the party, I was outside pulling weeds, trimming bushes, and weed-whacking all the hard-to-mow spots.  One chore I had put off for a while was trimming the grass that had grown up over the curb.  We live on a corner lot in our neighborhood, and one side had grown over quite a bit.  I didn’t realize how much until I started going at it with the weed-whacker.  It took some time and a fair bit of trimmer line to get that side shored up.  It was a mess, too.  I’m glad I was wearing jeans and safety glasses, because stuff was blown everywhere.

I went back to the garage and got distracted with something else.  I cleaned up the tools I had left around the yard and went on to some other chore.  Just before I went back inside, I thought, “Do I need to clean up the trimmings from the curb?  Nah, it’s just little stuff.  It’ll blow away.”  I then went on with my day, getting other parts of the house ready for the party.

The next morning I got up and took our dog out early for a walk.  As we turned the corner, I didn’t see many of the trimmings in the road…instead, there were four or five piles of trimmings placed back in our lawn.  I internally groaned, “Oh no.  Someone cleaned up after me and put them back where I’d be sure to see them.  I bet they were cussing me out the whole time they were scooping these things up.  Way to make the neighborhood look bad.  Jerk can’t even pick up after himself.”  The most likely person to do this would be my neighbor across the street.  We’ve barely talked over the years, so I’m not sure of his attitude or opinion of me.  He’s never been unfriendly, but we haven’t been friends.  Feeling completely embarrassed, after I finished walking our dog, I cleaned up the piles and then hosted the party that afternoon.

Throughout the days that followed, I wondered how much I had made him mad.  I wondered if he held a grudge or at least thought less of me as his neighbor.  It seems a bit silly as I type this out, but I mentally beat myself up over this.  I felt embarrassed each time I walked our dog past his house, thinking things like: The trimmings weren’t small.  I should have remembered better.  Or, at least I should have checked before going back inside.  Why was I so selfish thinking it was ok to leave them?  How could I leave a mess for someone else to clean up?

About two weeks after the party, I was walking our dog and my neighbor happened to be outside.  Swallowing my pride, I flagged him down.  I asked if he was the one who put the trimmings back in my yard.  He said that he had.  I apologized for leaving such a mess, and that I had spent these weeks assuming that he believed he had a jerk for a neighbor.  To my surprise, he smiled and said, “Oh no, I was just trying to help you.  I’ve gotten a letter before from our HOA about my lawn growing over the curb and didn’t want you to get a letter, either.  I just do what I can to help keep our neighborhood cleaned up.”  He then extended his hand to shake mine, showing that he had no hard feelings.  While shaking his hand, I realized that I had been completely wrong about his motives and attitude. 

In Paul’s first letter to the believers in Corinth, chapter 13 is famously known as “The Love Chapter.”  We’re all familiar with the love is patient, love is kind phrases that begin a long list of what love is and what love isn’t.  However, in the middle of the chapter is a verse that often trips people up:

1 Corinthians 13:7
[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

It’s the believes all things part that seems confusing.  Other translations render the phrase as trusts all things – and that kinda helps, but it kinda doesn’t.  A helpful explanation is found in the Holman New Testament Commentary:

Perhaps this characteristic of love is best expressed in contemporary English idiom as: “Love gives the benefit of the doubt.”  Suspicion and doubt toward others do not indicate affection or love.  On the contrary, when someone loves with Christlike love, he entrusts himself to the persons he loves time and again.  Still, love does not demand that a person trust even when the basis for trust has been destroyed.  Love does not give the “benefit” when there is no “doubt.”  In these circumstances trust is folly.  Yet, the general practice of those who love is to trust the good intentions of others as much as possible.

I had spent those two weeks doing the opposite of loving my neighbor.  My neighbor has never given me any reason to think he would be hostile or mad at me, but it didn’t even cross my mind that he could actually be trying to help me.  All the tension I felt between us was caused by my embarrassed feelings and imagination…because I didn’t give him the benefit of the doubt.

It’s just another step for me to learn how to love my neighbor as myself.  I hope you’re taking those steps, too.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

I called Jesus' disciples schmucks. That wasn't well received.

During a conversation about Jesus, His ministry, and His disciples with a Mormon missionary, I made an off-hand, but accurate, statement:

Jesus’ disciples weren’t perfect.  They had their flaws, just like we do.  Let’s be honest, they were schmucks before meeting Jesus.

His body stiffened, he sat up straight, and I could tell he was trying to choose his next words carefully.  Through clenched teeth, he seethed, “These men, these ‘schmucks’ as you call them, were holy men of God.  I don’t appreciate you talking about them like that.” 

While I recognized his desire to be respectful of biblical figures, he had been talking about the disciples as if they were somehow god-like themselves.  So obviously, my labeling of them as schmucks struck a nerve.

In case you’re not familiar with the term, schmuck is a belittling or derogatory term that can range in meaning from stupid/foolish to obnoxious/detestable.

I then pointed out that none of the disciples were in positions of power when they met Jesus and began to follow Him.  They were regular guys with low-level jobs they were expected to work the rest of their lives.  They were fishermen, tax collectors, failed insurrectionists…and all of them were well past the age when a rabbi would have chosen them to be a disciple.  They were passed over by the elites because they weren’t good enough – they didn’t have the aptitude or the ability expected of those who would become part of the religious and political leadership of the nation.  The disciples were the cast-offs, the b-team, the overlooked, and the ignored.

But when Jesus chose them to be His disciples, they didn’t instantly become perfect, either.  All throughout Jesus’ ministry, we see them being selfish and self-promoting, even amongst themselves.  They failed to be like Jesus, many times over.  They fought over who would be the greatest among them (Mark 9:33-34, Luke 22:24), had family petition for their rank in Jesus’ Kingdom (Mark 10:35-41), they didn’t believe Jesus could keep them safe (Matthew 8:26, 14:31), they couldn’t heal a sick child (Mark 17:16), they ran away and deserted Jesus when He was arrested (Matthew 26:56), and although Peter literally swore that he didn’t even know Jesus (Mark 14:71), the other disciples were too busy hiding so they wouldn’t be confronted at all (John 20:19).

Even after Jesus returned to Heaven and the disciples received the Holy Spirit, they still weren’t perfect.  Jesus had to correct Peter on which people groups were allowed to hear the gospel (Acts 10:9-16).  Later still, Peter succumbed to peer pressure and hypocritically began to follow the Mosaic Law again, separating himself from non-Jews…and he was rebuked by Paul for it (Galatians 2:11-14).

All-in-all…that’s pretty schmucky.

But schmucky people are the ones that God often calls to do great things for Him.  In fact, Paul reminded the believers in Corinth of this very fact:

1 Corinthians 1:26-28
Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth.  Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong.  God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world – what is viewed as nothing – to bring to nothing what is viewed as something

A few members in the Corinthian church may have been considered “wise” or “powerful” or “noble” – but most weren’t.  God accepts everyone who believes in Jesus for eternal life, but He often elevates the lowly in ways that might not be expected.  But why would He do that?  Continuing with Paul’s letter, we find out:

1 Corinthians 1:29-31
so that no one may boast in His presence.  It is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us – our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption – in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

God doesn’t elevate individuals so other people can marvel at how great a person the individual is…rather He elevates the lowly schmucks so that other people can see how great God is and what His power can accomplish. 

I think our lesson here is two-fold:

1.       Don’t put anyone – not even one of the original disciples – on a pedestal.  We’re all sinners saved by God’s gracious gift of Jesus.
2.       When God elevates you, don’t point to yourself (even if other people do)…instead, point them to God.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

An old story example (part 1)

I don’t imagine that you’ve spent much time reading the Old Testament book 1 Chronicles.  Don’t worry, no judgment here…I’m not in it very often, either.  And if you’re like me, when you read through any Old Testament book, it’s very tempting to just skim past the genealogy sections, right?  So-and-so begat son-of-so-and-so, name-I-can’t-possibly-pronounce had a son with-another-name-I-can’t-pronounce.

However, genealogy sections were vitally important to the ancient Israelites.  Knowing where you came from had significant influence on your social standing.  Even though we can’t trace our own lineage back through those genealogies, that doesn’t necessarily mean those sections are empty of anything useful for us church-age believers.  While there are a lifetime of stories behind each name…oftentimes, there are interesting stories couched in between the lists of family lineage.  As the Apostle Paul said, the Old Testament is available to us for examples and insight into the God who loves us (1 Corinthians 10:11).

So, I want to share with you two little stories I found amongst the genealogies.  I think you’ll find them as interesting and as informative as I did.  We’ll look at the first one in this post and the second one in the next post.  The first story shows three of the twelve tribes establishing themselves in the Promised Land, but the local inhabitants weren’t willing to just hand it over.  As you read the following five verses, look for the reason why the three tribes were successful:

1 Chronicles 5:18-22
The descendants of Reuben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 warriors who could serve in the army – men who carried shield and sword, drew the bow, and were trained for war.  They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab.  They received help against these enemies because they cried out to God in battle, and the Hagrites and all their allies were handed over to them.  He was receptive to their prayer because they trusted in Him.  They captured the Hagrites livestock – fifty thousand of their camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep, and two thousand donkeys – as well as one hundred thousand people.  Many of the Hagrites were killed because it was God’s battle.  And they lived there in the Hagrites place until the exile.

Over 44,000 warriors…that’s a lot of skilled fighters; however, that wasn’t the primary reason they won the battle.  The three Israelite tribes were victorious because they cried out to God in battle…He was receptive to their prayer because they trusted in Him.  Despite their numbers and strength, their winning strategy contained two humility-filled steps: crying out to God and trusting in Him.  Not only did they seek God’s favor and assistance, they were counting on Him to fulfill the promises He had made to all the Israelite tribes (see Genesis 12, Genesis 26:3, Genesis 28:13, Numbers 34:1-12 for a few examples).

Since God had promised the land, the three tribes knew they couldn’t obtain the promise fulfillment without God’s involvement.  After the battle was over and the three Israelite tribes had won and taken control of the land, they recognized that it had been God’s battle all along.

Now, of course, us modern-day believers cannot claim this promise from God.  We’re not Israel, and God isn’t going to move us all to Palestine.  That said…what a great example this is for us…we can take this little snippet of history and be reminded that God fulfills His promises.  God keeps His word.  People may have lied to us.  Others may have let us down.  Our God isn’t like that.  He doesn’t leave us in the lurch.  He won’t forget.  God is good for His word, every time.

So, what promises are you crying out to God about?  What promises are you trusting in Him to fulfill?  We can’t do it on our own, no matter how skilled we are.  If you need a reminder, here are a few to consider:

Matthew 11:28-30
Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take up my yoke and learn from Me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

John 5:24
Truly I tell you, anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.

Hebrews 13:5-6
Keep your life free from the love of money.  Be satisfied with what you have for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.  Therefore, we may boldly say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?”

There are many more promises available to us, and I encourage you to look for them as you read through the New Testament.  But let’s take the Old Testament story as our example, alright?  Cry out to God and trust in Him to fulfill the promises He’s made.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Worthless influencers make me worthless

Even though church-age believers are not required to live by the Levitical Law, reading the Old Testament is a good habit for us to maintain.  Paul said that the Old Testament is full of examples for us church-age believers to follow (1 Corinthians 10:11).  One powerful lesson we can learn comes from the author of 2 Kings, as he describes why God punished His chosen people when he allowed the Assyrian Empire to subjugate and exile the Israelites:

2 Kings 17:21-23
When the Lord tore Israel from the house of David, Israel made Jeroboam son of Nebat king.  Then Jeroboam led Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit grave sin.  The Israelites persisted in all the sins that Jeroboam committed and did not turn away from them.  Finally, the Lord removed Israel from His presence just as He had declared through all His servants the prophets.  So Israel has been exiled to Assyria from their homeland to this very day.

The land God had promised to Israel could only be kept by following God’s commands.  From the founding of the nation, God had warned them not to fall under the influence of the surrounding nations and to not abandon their relationship with and worship of God.  If they took that path, God warned that they would be removed from the land and placed into exile.  It would be easy for us modern-day believers to wag our fingers and shake our heads at Israel’s situation.  They were warned, right?  How could they fall like that, if they knew how great the consequences would be?

A little earlier in this same chapter, the author of 2 Kings gave a more detailed synopsis of how it all went wrong throughout the 700 years since the nation of Israel made their covenant with God:

2 Kings 17:7-15
This disaster happened because the people of Israel sinned against the Lord their God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt and because they worshiped other gods.  They lived according to the customs of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites and according to what the kings of Israel did. 

The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right.  They built high places in all their towns from watchtower to fortified city.  They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.  They burned incense there on all the high places just like the nations that the Lord had driven out before them had done. 

They did evil things, angering the Lord.  They served idols, although the Lord had told them, “You must not do this.”  Still, the Lord warned Israel and Judah through every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep My commands and statutes according to the whole law I commanded your ancestors and sent to you through My servants the prophets.”

But they would not listen.  Instead they became obstinate like their ancestors who did not believe the Lord their God.  They rejected His statutes and His covenant He had made with their ancestors and the warnings He had given them.  They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves, following the surrounding nations the Lord had commanded them not to imitate.

Israel’s heart was divided.  Throughout the centuries, they picked up their cues from the culture around them, rather than solely trusting the guidance God had given them.  Eventually, they looked just like those God had warned them to not be like.  Everywhere they turned in society, there was another “god” for them to follow or worship.  The Old Testament is chock full of prophets telling the people to return to God, but despite numerous warnings, God eventually followed through on His promise to remove them from the Promised Land.

This is the phrase that struck me as I read this passage: they followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.  There’s something about that description that just stings.  Israel’s situation was completely self-inflicted.  They made the choice to follow worthless idols, to imitate the culture around them, and to live a lifestyle that was contrary to what God had called them to. 

They became what they worshiped.  They became what they imitated.  They became what they followed.

This example makes me stop and ask a few penetrating questions:

Who or what am I following?
How quickly does my hand reach for my phone in the morning?
What am I compulsively checking for in my email, text, or social media accounts?
How much of my time do I allow for social media each day?
Which news organizations, streaming channels, or podcasts influence my daily narrative and activities?
What apps/games do I immediately open if I have time to kill or I need to wait for something?

Are the answers to the above questions leading me toward better or leading me toward worse?
In comparison to God’s direction for living our life to the fullest…which answers to the above questions would He consider worthless?

These are hard questions.  These are difficult stare-at-yourself-in-the-mirror questions.  While God did not abandon the Israelites, He was willing to remove blessings in order to get their attention.  From their example, we see that God takes our value very, very seriously.  He does not want us to become worthless, and so it matters greatly who and what we allow to have influence in our lives.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Body aches, pains, and injuries

I hurt my wrist at the beginning of June this year.  The injury happened during my first time at Top Golf, which is basically a gamified driving range.  Rather than just teeing off and see how far you can hit the golf ball, Top Golf has targets set up at various distances where you get points for how close you get to each one.  Now, I haven’t swung a golf club in twenty-some years…and whatever I did on that first swing – my grip, not keeping my wrists straight, whatever – I did it wrong.  I felt an immediate pain in my right wrist that shot halfway up my forearm.

I was a little sore over the next few days, so I decided to treat it like a sprain and take it easy.  Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate…repeat.  Over several weeks, it didn’t get any better and was becoming increasingly more painful, so I made the appointment with an orthopaedic doctor.  His exam and subsequent MRI revealed a partial tear in the scapholunate ligament.  Fortunately, the tear is in a location that doesn’t cause any structural issues or impact to the wrist’s function.  As such, there isn’t an expectation that surgery will be needed.

Honestly, I didn’t even know this ligament was there.  If it was mentioned in any of my high school or college science courses, I don’t recall.  The SL ligament thickness ranges between 1mm to 3mm.  It doesn’t take up much space, but its job is incredibly important – to provide stabilization and help control rotational motion in the wrist bones caused by the wrist’s movements.

I’m not fishing for your sympathies…I bring this up because what’s really struck me throughout this whole situation is how much impact the injury to this little ligament has caused.  Without NSAIDs and Tylenol, the spot just burns – to the point of mental distraction and frustration.  Because of the pain, I don’t have much pushing strength in that arm, and even when I keep my wrist straight, it fatigues quickly when trying to carry anything. 

All because of a small, partial tear on a little tiny ligament.

In multiple letters to various churches, the Apostle Paul referred to believers as “the body of Christ”.  To the churches in Rome and Corinth, he pointed out that there are different parts of our physical bodies that have different – and each important – jobs.  So too, Paul said, within the body of Christ – we each have different gifts and abilities, so it’s best for the various parts of the body to do what they are made to do in order to have a healthy, active church.

However, in his letter to the believers in Corinth, he also addressed what happens when a part of the body isn’t functioning properly:

1 Corinthians 12:24-26
God has put the body together…that the members would have the same concern for each other.  So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

Just like the injury to my wrist, when someone in God’s family struggles, the impact is much greater than just that one person.  When we’re unable to do what God has made us to do – due to physical, emotional, or mental suffering – then the church as a whole is impacted.  The pain isn’t localized, it can radiate and affect other parts of the body and how they function. 

When one portion of our physical body is injured, the other parts compensate until healing can occur.  Sometimes the injury can heal on its own, with some time and rest.  Other times, the injury needs more specialized attention.  The same should happen in the body of Christ.  Those around the struggling member need to come along side and provide support while the healing occurs.  When we come across a fellow believer who is suffering, we can’t ignore them and their pain.  We need to recognize that if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it and it’s in everyone’s best interest to do the work to restore our suffering family member.

This principle is true, no matter what your role in the body of Christ is.  You don’t have to lead worship or preach on Sunday mornings in order to qualify for assistance.  We are to have the same concern for each other, regardless of how we serve.  Yes, an injury to one of our eyes is impactful, but an injury to a supporting ligament in a wrist can be just as debilitating.  Just as there are no unimportant parts of our physical body, there are no unimportant parts of Christ’s body, the church, either.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

What if we're wrong?

Have you ever been challenged with the question, “What if you’re wrong about Christianity?”  Maybe this question was thrown at you, like some sort of challenge, by someone who doesn’t think there is a God.  Or perhaps you have asked yourself this question, and thinking about it kept you awake last night.  To be honest, it’s a fair question.  We should examine our thoughts and understand why we believe the things that we do.  And when it comes to what we believe about our eternal destiny, it’s not wrong to think this question through – even if we feel a little uncomfortable doing so.

Most church sermons will not touch this subject.  But on the rare occasion a pastor/teacher discusses the possibility that Christ-followers have the wrong answers to eternal questions, their answer typically goes something like this:

Well, if I’m wrong…and this whole Jesus-thing isn’t true, and there isn’t a God who created all that we can see, and there won’t be a resurrection of the dead…if there’s truly nothing that happens when we die and we just cease to exist, then at least I – because of my belief system – have made the world a better place.  My efforts have made a difference in other people’s lives.

Pardon me while I go throw up this super-sugary, over-baked theological nonsense.

First of all, if there isn’t a God at all, then in the long run – nothing really matters.  The second law of thermodynamics ultimately wins as everything slides to an unenergetic equilibrium and all life as we know it will eventually cease to exist…despite any kindness or nice feelings we produced along the way.

However, the second possible “If Christians are wrong” logical conclusion is arguably worse than the first: What if there is a God, but Jesus was not who He said He was?  If there is no upcoming resurrection of the dead – no life after death – where does that leave us?

If you’ve never considered these questions or you’re feeling a little uneasy right now, don’t worry – you’re not the first person to wrestle with them.  In fact, the first-century believers in Corinth were dealing with these challenges, and here’s how Paul addressed their concerns:

1 Corinthians 15:13-14
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith.

No punches pulled here.  If there is no life after death, then Jesus didn’t leave the tomb.  And if Jesus is still dead, then His offer of “eternal life” to those who believe in Him for it looks like a pretty lousy deal.  If He couldn’t keep Himself alive, how is He supposed to give life to anyone else?

But Paul’s reasoning doesn’t stop there.  He continues to the logical conclusion of what it means if there is no resurrection coming:

1 Corinthians 15:15, 17-19
Moreover, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified wrongly about God that He raised up Christ…and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.  Those, then, who have fallen asleep in Christ [i.e. – those who have already died believing in Jesus for eternal life] have also perished.  If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.

Paul recognized that if his belief in Jesus for eternal life was misplaced, then his earthly life was wasted and the only thing he deserved was to be pitied more than anyone.  Paul was not using his faith in Jesus as an insurance policy.  He wasn’t hedging his bets and consoling himself with soft-soap platitudes about his “good deeds”.  Instead, Paul was convinced that he could entrust Jesus with his eternal future.  Paul believed that Jesus’ resurrection was proof of His victory over death, and that we, too, will be resurrected one day:

1 Corinthians 15:20-22
But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man.  For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

We may wrestle with doubts or be asked some hard questions from time to time, but the answer to the question of “What if you’re wrong about Christianity?” ultimately comes down to how we respond to what Jesus told Martha.  Do we find Jesus to be as trustworthy as Paul did?

John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live.  Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.  Do you believe this?”

Once you believe in Jesus for eternal life, He guarantees that you have it.  No strings.  No extra promises or actions required.  If you believe in Him, He promises resurrection, even if you experience physical death before He returns. 

Do you believe this?

Keep Pressing,
Ken

I was disqualified

While I have never been in a situation where I needed additional blood, I know friends and family that have.  I’m thankful that when their need for a transfusion arose, blood was available.  Not only can your donation impact one or more lives, there are health benefits for those who donate blood, too.  I’ve also found that donation places like the Red Cross will even tell you which hospital received your donation.  We all know that donating blood is “a good thing”, but learning where and how our specific donation was used certainly reinforces the positive impact of our actions.

That said, I recently decided to donate blood.  I hadn’t done so in a while, so I went online and signed up for an upcoming Saturday morning where I could set aside some time.  I planned my day around the appointment.  When I arrived, I was asked to wait for a short time while they took care of other donors.  When it was my turn, I filled out the paperwork, answered some additional questions, and passed my mini-physical. 

After I sat down in the donation chair, the lady checked the veins in my left arm.  A troubled look came over her face as she gently pushed her finger around the inside of my elbow.  She couldn’t find a vein suitable for their needle.  I offered that she could use a vein a little lower down my forearm, but she told me they had to use a specific zone around the inside of my elbow.  She checked my right arm, and had the same problem – she couldn’t find a suitable vein.  She called over her colleague, who examined both of my arms.  She also came to the conclusion that I wasn’t prepared to donate blood. 

I admitted that I had not had any water that morning, and that I should have hydrated better.  They both agreed, but instead of just getting additional water the morning prior to donating, they suggested that I increase my water intake for two weeks before my next donation attempt.  This I found a little frustrating.  I told them that I do drink a fair bit of water, typically 2-3 liters per day.  But there was nothing to be done.  I was disqualified to give blood because I wasn’t prepared.  I didn’t fight or argue, because neither would have changed my situation.  I wished them a good day, and I went home.  All-in-all, the total trip cost me two hours and nothing came of it.

Without being over-dramatic, the reality of the situation was that I was unable to participate with the donation center in providing a positive impact to others in my community.  As I drove home, I thought about how much water I had been drinking lately.  After an honest assessment of the last few weeks…although I generally do drink as much as 3 liters of water per day…I have to admit that recently it’s probably been more like 1 liter per day, which would certainly explain my dehydrated state and blood donation disqualification.

Did you know that every person who has believed in Jesus for eternal life will one day have their actions assessed by Jesus?  While His assessment of our works will have no bearing on our eternal destiny, His bema seat judgment will impact our opportunities in eternity future.  Paul talked about it in both of his letters to the believers in Corinth:

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.  

1 Corinthians 3:14-15
For the [judgment] day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work.  If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward.  If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved – but only as through fire.

The loss experienced will be the loss of rewards and future opportunity to partner with Christ.  On that bema seat judgment day, all that we have done, whether good or evil, will be examined.  It will be clear how much we have lived for Jesus in this life and how much we have matured to be like Him.  Some will be rewarded, others will be disqualified.

There are many passages we could examine to find hints and descriptions of what kinds of rewards are available, but suffice it to say that if the God of the Universe says His rewards are good…then they’re going to be rewards we want to earn! 

Our difficulty right now is the same one that I had with my water intake…I thought I was “generally” ok.  Turns out I wasn’t.  We tend to think that God is ok with whatever progress we’ve made or actions we’ve taken.  However, Paul warned believers in Rome that they shouldn’t think to highly of themselves, rather they should honestly examine their choices and actions (Romans 12:3).  We may want to do the same…otherwise, we may coast through life thinking that we’re pleasing God when we’re actually not.  That’s not something we want to realize when it comes time for the judgment seat of Christ. 

Let’s not be disqualified later because we didn’t take action now.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Olympic-sized choices

Every two years, we are treated to a spectacle of human effort, strength, and determination.  Both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games have an incredible ability to draw us in.  We see athletes who have put in years – even decades – of effort into their skills and honing their craft.  We are introduced to these country representatives through interviews, old family videos, and personal stories.  Invariably, we hear about their dedication, toughness, and desire.  These individuals have mastered their bodies and minds to achieve peak human condition in order to compete at the highest level with others who have done the same.

The Olympic Games remind us that physical competition is not a modern society invention, as we humans have a strong desire to be the best at something.  Humans have always gone to great lengths to prove our prowess in a given competition or setting.  

The Apostle Paul noted the efforts and dedication of ancient athletes in his letter to the church in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 9:24-25
Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize?  Run in such a way to win the prize.  Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything.  They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown.

Invariably, you’ll find a preacher who, on a Sunday during the modern 17-day Olympic event, points to this Scripture and says, “See?  As incredible as their athletic achievements are, in the end, useless. Their crowns are perishable.  They won’t last.  These people have wasted their time on temporal success.”

This kind of interpretation assumes that the athletes are not believers, and they are strictly driven by self-centered goals.  However, when reading the passage as a whole, in the context of the entire letter, it’s difficult to claim that in these four sentences, Paul’s aim was to put the athletes down for their efforts.

In the previous verses, Paul discussed the importance of winning for him.  His said that his aim was to meet people where they were, regardless of their background or societal standing, in order to share the gospel message – that Jesus gives eternal life to all who believe in Him for it.

1 Corinthians 9:22-23
I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.  Now I do all this because of the gospel, so that I may share in the blessings.

Right after this, Paul uses the runners-striving-to-win-the-race comparison we looked at already.  Instead of putting down these athletes, Paul says we should imitate their tenacity and dedication as we strive to receive an imperishable crown.

And don’t let anyone tell you that this imperishable crown is going to heaven when you die.  This crown is clearly earned, and Paul says he makes his effort so that I may share in the blessings.  Crowns in the ancient games gave the one who earned them status, rewards, and special access to both events and royalty.  If that’s what a perishable crown is worth…how much more valuable would an imperishable crown be?

Continuing the athletic metaphor, Paul then reveals his training regimen:

1 Corinthians 9:26-27
So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air.  Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

No athlete, after putting so much time and effort into their training, wants to be disqualified from the contest.  A “DQ” means they miss the opportunity to earn the victor’s crown and, as a result, cannot receive the benefits that crown would have given them access to.

Since Paul wants to share in the blessings of an imperishable crown, he makes intentional choices about how he spends his time, where his focus lies, and how he treats his physical body.  Paul is giving the Corinthian believers (and us!) an example to follow in order to run in such a way to win the prize.

So…how’s your training going?

To be honest with you, mine’s not going so well…and I didn’t even realize it.  I really like strategy/puzzle games.  Recently, I found a new game to play on my phone.  I was doing just fine, playing the levels at my own pace.  And then they started an open contest, to see who could complete a certain task the most number of times within a time limit.  So I jumped right in and started playing away.  Surprising myself, I came in first.  On the next contest, I came in first again.  And I did it again – three wins in a row.  I don’t personally know any of the people I was competing against, but I won, and by sizeable margins. 

However, I received a real shock this last Sunday.  My phone keeps track of how much time I spend on each app and then gives me a weekly report.  Guess how much time I spent on the game this past week?  It was over 15 hours.  Sure, I won – a lot.  What did I win?  More boosters so I could continue to play the game.  Nothing tangible.  Nothing sharable.  Certainly nothing of eternal value.

App games are fine, but do I really need to spend 15 hours on them in one week?  Doing the math – that’s 32.5 DAYS per year.  If I continue on my current pace, I will spend an entire month of this year playing a game on my phone. 

What good could I do with half that time? 

We become good at whatever we spend most of our time doing.  Want to be a better athlete?  Spend time training.  Want to be promoted in your job?  Spend time doing your current job well and work to get the additional skills or education you need to move up.  The more TV we watch, the more proficient we become at it. 

Want to be more like Jesus?  Get out and love on people, especially people you don’t routinely hang around. 

Want to earn eternal rewards?  Make disciplined choices with your time, your focus, and your priorities.  Meet people where they are and tell them about Jesus’ free gift of eternal life. 

And don’t become disqualified because you were distracted.

Keep Pressing,
Ken