Category Encouragement

Oct 12 2014

The Keys: Command

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I don’t know about you, but in a world where we get upset with each other so very quickly, and anger seems to immediately turn to hate – its a painful reminder that God’s greatest command to us is simply this:  Love.

The Bible is full of commands.  Especially in the Old Testament.  But when Jesus is asked in the New Testament which command was the greatest, which command out of all of those things they had been taught all of their lives was the most important – Here’s what Jesus said –

“Love God.  Love others”

But there are two things we must consider – how do we love God and how do we love others?

The Bible tells us to love God with all our heart, soul, might, strength – or another way to say it is to love God with your everything.

Your will, your desires, your passions, your affections, your perceptions, your thoughts –  We love God from within but also our entire being, our soul, the thing that makes us who we are – how we walk, how we talk, how we think, how we use our talents, how we react – our entire being is to display that we love God.

We need to love God not only with our physical muscle but with everything we have available for honoring God – which includes our spouse, our children, our house, our wardrobe, our tools, our cell phones, our movies and music, our computers, our time.

Every part of who we are – should be showing love to God. So that’s how we are to love God, but what about that “others” part.

I love my wife.  I love my daughter.  I love my mother and father.  I love my brother and sister, and their spouses, and their kids.  I love my family. I love my friends.  Those friends of mine that I can call up at anytime and talk, go eat lunch with, hang out with.  I love you.  I love the church.

So you see the trend here.  I love people I’m close to, that I’ve gotten to know, or that i have respect for.

But – How do I love my enemies?

Throughout history, people tend to make their enemies less than human.  Its not any different for us really – we tend to view criminals, our enemies, and those we don’t like, as less than human.  When we dehumanize others, its much easier to justify hatred.  But I want you to Look at the example Jesus gave us in Luke 19:41-44

41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

He knew what Rome would do to his fellow Jews in Jerusalem as he wept over the city. The people he was about to die for, didn’t love him.  He loved the people who were about to kill him.  He wept for them.

In the OT Jonah was asked to preach a message of salvation to people he despised.  I think loving our enemies looks like that. The Ninevites were vile, horrible people. Jonah never got over God’s wanting to forgive & bless them.

Loving your enemies is being willing to be a conduit of God’s grace to another, even when they have brought you pain and suffering .

The world may cry “Why?”  But we know the real reason God tells us to love others.  Its because HE loves us – and HE wants us to be like HIM.

On the computer keyboard that I use, the “Command” key is used as a shortcut.  I type command plus c and it copies.  I type command plus v and it pastes.  But when God says that love is the greatest command, we realize quickly there is no shortcut in love.

The New Testament says in I Corinthians 13 that if I have eloquence, if I preach with power, if I have monstrous faith, if I give away all my possessions to the poor – it doesn’t amount to anything if I don’t have love.

You know what else it says:  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

This is not just a passage for the minister to read at weddings.  This is a national anthem for us as Christians – when we look at the Greatest Command which is love – this is the description of the love God commands!!

We understand loving family and friends.  But the enemy part is much harder.  Take 5 minutes and watch this moving video:

Jesus was hanging on the cross.  On either side of him were criminals.  Roman soldiers who didn’t know Jesus were just doing their job, following orders.

Jewish leaders, the ones who would have crucified Jesus themselves if the law didn’t prohibit it.  They hated Jesus.

There was a crowd of people – some who used to follow Jesus around and listen to his message of love and forgiveness.  They used to cry “Hosanna” and now they shouted “Crucify Him”

And our Lord says “Father – forgive them.”  And then he dies for them.

And for us.  For you, and for me.

Jesus is standing in front of you today – he has his arms wide open, ready to love you, no matter what it is you’ve done.  And when I say no matter what, I mean no matter what.

He loves you – do you love Him?

Feb 21 2014

Safety in the Storm

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On Thursday night, we had a major storm move through the area where we live.

At about 8pm, the Tornado Warning popped up while watching the weather report.  Kristen and I chatted a bit, and decided at one loud crack of thunder to go and get our little gal and bring her downstairs to our “safe place” – which ended up being our couch watching the weather.

Josie sat down on the couch, and we watched Ron Howes on News Channel 5 show us where the warnings and watches and storms were located.  We could hear the sirens blaring, the trees waving, the winds howling, and see the lightning flashes.

When Josie came downstairs, she was tense, nervous, apprehensive, worried….the list goes on and on.  We laid her down, put her blanket over her, let her cling to her baby doll, and then I sat down next to her.  We watched the radar, I explained what was going on, gave her a quick science lesson on weather, and then we waited.

She went from nervous to calm.  That is, until we told her that the warnings had passed, and we were going to take her back upstairs to go to bed.  She began to get nervous again – and that’s when I showed her the radar, and showed her that the worst part had passed, that from now on there would be some wind, and some rain, and some lightning, but the worst was behind us.

I looked at her and asked her – do you understand?  She nodded yes.  Then I asked her – do you trust me?  Again, she nodded yes, albeit not quite as enthusiastically.

I told her I’d be right here for her – and if she needed us to call out to us. Kristen got her flashlight, Josie got hers, and they marched off to bed.

Doesn’t that remind you of something?

Sin and death was prevalent.  The warnings came from the prophets.

Christ came and told us how to protect ourselves.

He conquered death.

The worst part passed – death was defeated.

He looked at us and said “I’m going back home now, but I’ll be right here to protect you.  If you need me, just call on me.”

What a mighty God we serve.

Jan 6 2014

Encouraging the Encourager

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(DISCLAIMER – this does not reflect my situation at my congregation of the Granny White Pike Church of Christ.  This is a response to some discouraging news I got this past weekend from a friend in ministry, who was let go from his job during this holiday season, in the middle of the school year, and doesn’t know what he’s going to do.  I felt called to write this today for those ministers going through a rough season in their lives, and for members in their church on how they can encourage.)

Discouragement.

All of us go through it at times.  Some, more than others.  I suppose when I was growing up, I always looked at our preacher (often times it was my dad) and thought he always had it together.  I never suspected anything was ever a problem.  I thought the Church was a safe haven.  I thought, to be real honest, that preachers were perfect.  It never crossed my mind they would get upset, get discouraged, or struggle at all, because it was there job to build others up.

I now know that is far from true.  Being a minister now, I can vouch that it is extremely easy to get discouraged.  My personal theme for the year is “Encourage One Another in 2014”

I’m part of a few mentor groups with other ministers.  Sure, I have my own struggles, but they are mostly of my own accord and worry.  I love my church family, and I feel loved and encouraged and supported.  However, the stories I hear from other guys in this line of work break my heart.

One guy was telling us about when he and his family were preaching in a small rural church.  The congregation provided a parsonage.  The minister and his family went away on vacation for a week, and when they returned to their home, all of their stuff had been boxed up and placed out on the porch and in the yard – with a note “The elders have decided that it is time to get a new minister.  Please see  Beth (the church secretary) to get your final paycheck.  Good luck in all you do.”

That was it – no “let’s have a meeting about your job” or face to face conversation stating why – just a gutless firing while the family was away.  You may think that’s not the norm, and for the most part you’d be right – however, there are things like this going on all around the nation in churches today.

This past weekend – a friend of mine was called into a meeting by the elders.  With no warning, with no prior meetings about his performance, with no “let’s talk about how you can do better” conversation, he was told to leave.  He’ll have to either weather the storm through the rest of the school year for his kids, or make the decision to move his kids in the middle of the second semester.

Ministers of all types have accepted their job knowing that with it comes certain struggles.  Some guys are one upset person away from losing their job.  Some guys are continually belittled.  Some guys, even though they give it their all, are never told an encouraging word.  And the result – fewer and fewer people are wanting to go into the field of ministry.  In fact, it seems like every week or so I see a friend of mine I know on social media who is getting out of the field.

I have many people here at the Granny White Pike Church of Christ who are encouragers.  People who come up to me after a lesson, and don’t just say “Great job” – but rather they talk about the lesson with me.  They share how “the point you made about” really touched them, or was something they really needed to hear.  I love these conversations.  They motivate me to continue.  I love getting emails and Facebook messages about how my lesson helped people.  It motivates me to better.

I have a group of elders here who show all of our ministers great support.  They provide for us, pray for us, share with us, take us to lunch, are there for us to share frustrations, are wise beyond others I know, and offer words of wisdom.  However, I know that not all ministers have the same luxury.

So this morning – let me share with you some of the things my members/leaders do to help encourage me that you can do for your own ministers:

Encourage your ministers – all of them.

– Support their projects.
– Pray for them.
– Attend their classes.
– Listen to their lessons.
– Write notes to them, thanking them for specific lessons.
– Pray for them.
– Take them to lunch.
– Volunteer to watch his children so he and his wife can go on a date night.
– Share what they talked about in church on social media.
– Pray for them.

In what ways do you encourage your ministers at your congregation?  What are some other ways we can let ministers know how much we appreciate their work?

At this time – I want to send a special shout to my great congregation, the Granny White Pike Church of Christ, for always doing such a great job of encouraging.  My prayer for other ministers is that their congregations will do the same.

Image from kalexanderson via flickr