Worthy Words

One of the most prolific New Testament scholars in the world, NT Wright, once wrote, “The longer you look at Jesus, the more you will want to serve Him in His world."  Unfortunately, many people never get a glance of the real Jesus.  People have made up a Jesus that suits them not the one that is so powerfully revealed in the scriptures.  Just like we are apt to create all sorts of things in our world to meet our needs and make our lives easier, so we mess around with Jesus.  If we were all completely honest with ourselves, I think we’d find that a Jesus who plays to our convenience, self-indulgence and the world that revolves around “ME” is the kind of God each of us really desires.  Too many create a Jesus that puts few demands upon us. We see a Jesus who promises to open up His eternal bag of goodies for us at the expression of our latest whim.  However, the reality is that the closer you look at the gospels, the more you realize that kind of Jesus d...

The Chinese character for the word “busy” is written by combining the two words “heart” and “dead.”   How descriptive for when we are way-to busy. When our lives are full of too much activity it lays the foundation for a lifeless heart. I think it would be a challenge today to find someone who is not busy.   It is a part of the times in which we live.   There may be an underlying reason for our hectic pace. It’s because the busier you are, the more applauded and affirmed you get. Your ego gets stroked. But a lot can be gleaned from this ancient Chinese word.   There is a reason God created a Sabbath day to be set aside for His people to rest.   He commanded his people to work six days and on the seventh day to rest. Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you—Deuteronomy 5:12. Work and projects and commitments in themselves are not bad.   But when we let ourselves get overly busy—even with good things—we ...

My son, Brian, knows how to “turn it on.”   He has been doing it since his second birthday. Now he is at his thirty-sixth birthday and still, when you hold a camera-phone in front of him and say, “smile”—even if he is focused on something else—he will flash one of the biggest, brightest smiles you have ever seen.   It makes for great pictures, but I can’t help but think how often I do this myself.   Instead of letting those close to me know how I feel and what is happening in my life, I simply put on the smile everyone wants to see.   I don’t think that is always what God wants from us. Now I am not saying that everyone should walk around like a “Sad Sack” when they are in a cruddy mood.   However, no Child of God should ever have to walk through life’s struggles alone.   As Christ-followers, we are called to, “Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ”   (Galatians 6:2).   This does not necessarily put the respons...

Years ago, at Boy Scout camp, I took a merit badge course in sailing. The course was designed to cover the basics in sailing. Going into the course, I am now sad to admit, I had a pretty arrogant attitude. Having been a person who was water skiing since I was seven and driving speed boat at ten, I thought I would have this sailing “thing” down quickly. The second session of the course, I got in my trusty 14 foot sail boat, hoisted my sail like the best of sailors, lowered the rudder into the water and eagerly pushed off from the dock. Within moments, though, I started to panic. For some reason, the wind was blowing my boat sideways across the water, very quickly pushing me right into a significantly larger boat. I quickly checked all the necessities and still was confused, beginning to panic at the thought of having to face a huge crowd of snickering Scouts for my folly. Then, I heard a loud voice; it came from the bullhorn of our instructor, “put your centerboard down.” Well, ...