Ecclesiastes has been a difficult book for me to read, not because the overtly negative tones of the book have been depressing, rather it has been difficult because I have found those negative tones somehow comforting and I have struggled to understand why.
For those who may not be familiar with the book, allow me to select a brief excerpt to help set the tone.
"There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siegeworks against it. Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man." (Ecc 9:14-15)
Even though the wise man saved the city, his fate was exactly the same as if he had failed. He still died, his memory lost and even the city that he saved has been forgotten to time. No matter what we do, ultimately we will die and soon forgotten. What then does anything we do matter in the face of eternity?
I love Ecclesiastes' willingness to be honest, if nothing else. As humans, we're finite beings and are only too aware of this. With all of human history stretched out behind us, we know that the lives of those who have come before us only matter in as much as they've led us to where we are now. Even great leaders and rulers have been reduced to simple names on the pages of books, if they're remembered at all. As time progresses, even those names will likely be forgotten.
So whether you live a virtuous life or a life filled with vice, you will be forgotten. Whether you are rich or poor, you will be forgotten. Whether you are mighty or weak, you will be forgotten. Nothing you say or do will matter. It is all vanity, a chasing after the wind.
When I read Ecclesiastes 3:11, I knew it was significant to understanding why I liked the book of Ecclesiastes, but I didn't initially know why. It says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
At first, I interpreted this in a sort of melancholy sense. We're aware of eternity before us and eternity behind us and so we feel a gnawing sense of desperation to accomplish something great, something that will change the world and leave our mark on history.
But the writer concludes the book with, "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecc. 12:13)
This is the turning point that flipped my understanding of Ecclesiastes 3:11 on its head. Fear, in this passage, simply means respect, reverence and awe. Without drawing too fine a point on it, these descriptors are experiential. When you experience a relationship with God, these are the natural, human responses. The final conclusion in the matter then, obey God so that you can experience Him. In the face of eternity, all that matters is our relationship to God.
And this was my moment of revelation. Yes, in the light of human history, nothing I do will matter; but human history is a terribly finite thing. With eternity in our hearts, we can realize that the one thing that truly matters is our relationship with God and whether or not that relationship impacted the lives of those around us.
That is why I can read the book of Ecclesiastes and find comfort. Even if everything else I do is meaningless, having a relationship with God that changes my life and the lives of those around me is vitally important.
While this by no means summarizes or even truly explains Ecclesiastes, this is the line of thinking that helped me to understand my own reactions to the book. It is a simple thing to confuse history and eternity, but when we truly grasp the value of eternity, our lives can find new meaning.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Identity Issues
I have been praying this evening about what it means to have my identity in Christ. Identity is everything in our language. It's how we cope with concepts that are too large or too complex for us to truly grasp, so we stick a simplified label on it and call it a day. It's where stereotypes come from.
When it comes to defining myself, I have a plethora of labels. Obviously Christian floats right up there at the top, but other winners would also be: writer, skater, gamer and nerd. The label of pastor lurks in the nearby future and that's more than a little weird for me.
I'm pretty laid back when it comes to a lot of activities. Beat me in poker? Not a big deal, I'm not a card shark. Outshoot me in basketball? I should certainly hope you did. Lift more heavy things in the gym? Good for you, I go out of my way to avoid lifting heavy things.
But when it comes to something like my writing, I yearn for affirmation that what I have written is acceptable. When I'm skating, I go out of my way to skate extra-fast as I pass people, just to hear the gasps of surprise. When it comes to my theological ponderings, I hope that others will be impressed with what I've come up with, lest I fail in the pursuit of labels such as theologian or thinker.
While none of these labels are bad in and of themselves, when I find my identity in them, I get caught up in pride. Pride at how fast I can skate, how well I can write or how cleverly I can think. When I fail to skate fast enough or write well enough, when my clever insights turn out to be rehashed ancient ideas, I am crushed. I wonder if I really want to be a writer or a skater? Do I really want to waste time thinking about things that minds far greater than mine have already covered?
Finding my identity in such things turns into an unending roller-coaster, the highs of success, the lows of failures and disappointment and the never-ending drive to find more and more affirmation, regardless of how supportive everyone already is.
So how do I break the cycle? How do I stop identifying myself by what I do and start identifying myself by who I am in Christ?
I think there's an easy answer, but it's hard to put into practice. Spend more time with God. In Exodus 34, when Moses came off the mountain from spending time with God, his face radiated the glory of God. Spending time with God literally altered Moses' appearance. How could it have any less of a metaphorical affect on me?
There are tried and true ways of spending time with God: reading the Bible and prayer. Good stuff both, but I think there's some real limitations to both of them as well.
If I read the Bible for an hour, I will get more out of it than if I only read it for 30 minutes; but I won't necessarily gain twice as much. If I read it for two hours instead of one, I will still gain more, but incrementally less. The Bible is a deep, complex book and reading it can be a test of mental endurance. The longer you read, the more difficult it can be to stay alert and focused. That's partially my American attention span and partially the fact that I'm human.
The same can go for prayer. There have been days where I have literally practiced prayer without ceasing. I recall a few-week period where I pretty much maintained that standard. It was awesome in a lot of ways, but eventually I burned out like a light-bulb. There's only so much constant focus and thought my brain can handle.
So perhaps I can take a page from human relationships for spending time with God. Spending time in the presence of friends doesn't always involve talking. In fact, with some of the really good friends, you can get a lot out of just hanging out watching a movie or playing a game together. Given God's conspicuous lack of a physical presence, however, it makes it difficult to watch a movie with God.
Rather than try to maintain a constant mental awareness of God's presence, perhaps it's enough to dedicate activities to Him. I got the idea from Christ's example wherein He blessed the food with prayer before eating dinner. Why? Probably because prayer is awesome, but possibly also because it's a way of inviting God in to partake in the meal with you.
When I'm eating, I'm not thinking, "Oh, thank you God for this pizza. It's scrumptious. Mmm, that bite was even better than the last, God. Delicious!" I'm usually thinking, "Food is so good. I love food. Food." Or something to that effect. It's not a time I'm consciously dwelling on the presence of God. I'm enjoying what I'm eating, or the company of those I'm eating it with.
What if I kicked off everything like that though? Invite God in to share the movie I'm about to watch, or the game I'm about to play? Or, because I have my devotions at night, start the day with a simple prayer of dedication. I think it would have the immediate effect of altering some of the activities I do, but not drastically so. Perhaps the long-term effect would be a heightened awareness of the presence of God in everything I do.
Perhaps that would be enough to change me as well. Help me find my identity in Christ as I grow to become more like him.
I'm not sure. It's worth a try though. So for the next week, I'm going to try and dedicate everything I do to God, especially the activities where I'm unplugging my brain and relaxing. So that my times of rest and relaxation can be times spent dwelling comfortably in God's presence.
It may not cause my face to glow, but it might just help me gain a greater awareness that my identity is in Christ and not the various things that I do.
When it comes to defining myself, I have a plethora of labels. Obviously Christian floats right up there at the top, but other winners would also be: writer, skater, gamer and nerd. The label of pastor lurks in the nearby future and that's more than a little weird for me.
I'm pretty laid back when it comes to a lot of activities. Beat me in poker? Not a big deal, I'm not a card shark. Outshoot me in basketball? I should certainly hope you did. Lift more heavy things in the gym? Good for you, I go out of my way to avoid lifting heavy things.
But when it comes to something like my writing, I yearn for affirmation that what I have written is acceptable. When I'm skating, I go out of my way to skate extra-fast as I pass people, just to hear the gasps of surprise. When it comes to my theological ponderings, I hope that others will be impressed with what I've come up with, lest I fail in the pursuit of labels such as theologian or thinker.
While none of these labels are bad in and of themselves, when I find my identity in them, I get caught up in pride. Pride at how fast I can skate, how well I can write or how cleverly I can think. When I fail to skate fast enough or write well enough, when my clever insights turn out to be rehashed ancient ideas, I am crushed. I wonder if I really want to be a writer or a skater? Do I really want to waste time thinking about things that minds far greater than mine have already covered?
Finding my identity in such things turns into an unending roller-coaster, the highs of success, the lows of failures and disappointment and the never-ending drive to find more and more affirmation, regardless of how supportive everyone already is.
So how do I break the cycle? How do I stop identifying myself by what I do and start identifying myself by who I am in Christ?
I think there's an easy answer, but it's hard to put into practice. Spend more time with God. In Exodus 34, when Moses came off the mountain from spending time with God, his face radiated the glory of God. Spending time with God literally altered Moses' appearance. How could it have any less of a metaphorical affect on me?
There are tried and true ways of spending time with God: reading the Bible and prayer. Good stuff both, but I think there's some real limitations to both of them as well.
If I read the Bible for an hour, I will get more out of it than if I only read it for 30 minutes; but I won't necessarily gain twice as much. If I read it for two hours instead of one, I will still gain more, but incrementally less. The Bible is a deep, complex book and reading it can be a test of mental endurance. The longer you read, the more difficult it can be to stay alert and focused. That's partially my American attention span and partially the fact that I'm human.
The same can go for prayer. There have been days where I have literally practiced prayer without ceasing. I recall a few-week period where I pretty much maintained that standard. It was awesome in a lot of ways, but eventually I burned out like a light-bulb. There's only so much constant focus and thought my brain can handle.
So perhaps I can take a page from human relationships for spending time with God. Spending time in the presence of friends doesn't always involve talking. In fact, with some of the really good friends, you can get a lot out of just hanging out watching a movie or playing a game together. Given God's conspicuous lack of a physical presence, however, it makes it difficult to watch a movie with God.
Rather than try to maintain a constant mental awareness of God's presence, perhaps it's enough to dedicate activities to Him. I got the idea from Christ's example wherein He blessed the food with prayer before eating dinner. Why? Probably because prayer is awesome, but possibly also because it's a way of inviting God in to partake in the meal with you.
When I'm eating, I'm not thinking, "Oh, thank you God for this pizza. It's scrumptious. Mmm, that bite was even better than the last, God. Delicious!" I'm usually thinking, "Food is so good. I love food. Food." Or something to that effect. It's not a time I'm consciously dwelling on the presence of God. I'm enjoying what I'm eating, or the company of those I'm eating it with.
What if I kicked off everything like that though? Invite God in to share the movie I'm about to watch, or the game I'm about to play? Or, because I have my devotions at night, start the day with a simple prayer of dedication. I think it would have the immediate effect of altering some of the activities I do, but not drastically so. Perhaps the long-term effect would be a heightened awareness of the presence of God in everything I do.
Perhaps that would be enough to change me as well. Help me find my identity in Christ as I grow to become more like him.
I'm not sure. It's worth a try though. So for the next week, I'm going to try and dedicate everything I do to God, especially the activities where I'm unplugging my brain and relaxing. So that my times of rest and relaxation can be times spent dwelling comfortably in God's presence.
It may not cause my face to glow, but it might just help me gain a greater awareness that my identity is in Christ and not the various things that I do.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Another Step, Anyway
I've been studying Proverbs in an attempt to learn a practical definition for wisdom. What it is, how to obtain it, that sort of thing. A lot of people have vague ideas about wisdom, but seldom any concrete notions. Some have a definition they apply to the word, but it often fails to be useful for day-to-day study and growth.
Proverbs 4:7 (NIV) says that wisdom is supreme; therefor get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.
That's a strongly worded imperative. If it's that important, I figured I'd better learn more about it than what I already knew. I, like many people, had a rather fuzzy definition of what wisdom was. I considered wisdom to be a subset of knowledge, but about important, spiritual things, you know?
The first question that popped into my mind in regard to Proverbs 4:7 was whether or not wisdom was different from understanding or if they were being used synonymously.
I hoped that the original Hebrew would hold a lot of the answers I needed, perhaps Hebrew had some special word for wisdom that held spiritual connotations that helped distinguish it from simple knowledge. After a few hours of flipping threw a concordance, I came to a few conclusions: First, Hebrew does not contain a special word for wisdom that contains hidden insight. Second, the English Bible is a fairly literal translation. When it says someone is wise it means someone who is skilled, a discerning judge or knowledgeable. In short, it means someone who is wise.
While it is reassuring to learn for myself about the precisely translated nature of the Bible, it didn't move me forward at all in my attempts to learn more about the importance of wisdom. If wisdom simply meant someone who was smart or discerning, then how could it be valued so highly? Important, yeah, but more so than everything else?
Given the absolute lack of insight provided by the concordance, it fell to studying wisdom in the context provided by Proverbs. One of the keys that I latched onto was the combination of the fear of the Lord and wisdom. Proverbs 1:7 says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. It echoes the inverse principle in Proverbs 1:29, Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord. The fear of the Lord is mentioned again and again in conjunction with wisdom throughout Proverbs.
One insight my study of the Hebrew did provide was the literal meaning of the word fear. The fear of the Lord simply means to hold God in a state of reverence. I went ahead and looked reverence up in the dictionary, as that still didn't help me understand what it meant to fear the Lord. The dictionary defined reverence as respect mingled with affection.
Respect and affection. While that particular combination may have been entirely coincidental in my dictionary, I really liked that definition for reverence (and thus fear as well). To me, respect implies a knowledge of who God is and affection would come from experiencing His character in your life. Knowledge and experience through relationship. I think that combination begins to reveal the true nature of wisdom and why it is so valued. Both are required and neither can supply wisdom alone.
A man who simply studies the Bible and learns about God's character, but never pursues the relationship with God, will only have a collection of facts no more useful for making decisions than sports statistics. Conversely, a person who has entered into a relationship with God, but hasn't studied and learned, will want to make wise decisions, but will lack a foundational knowledge of God on which to base his actions.
Only when a person studies and learns more about the character of God and experiences that character in their everyday lives will they be able to begin making wise decisions.
So ultimately, the definition I came up with for wisdom was:
Wisdom: The applied knowledge of God's character.
Now, there are two important notes I want to make before I close this post. First, Proverbs says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I don't think that what I have now is the complete definition of wisdom. Wisdom is listed in conjunction with other attributes, such as discipline and obedience, but the first and possibly most important is the fear of the Lord.
Second, a lot of this research began because I wasn't entirely sure how to apply the definitions of wisdom supplied by others. So how do I gain wisdom, based off the definition I came up with? It's no secret that the entire Bible is the story of God's desire for relationship with man. As such, many passages reflect directly on the character of God. So as I read the Bible, I need to study it with the intent of learning more about God. I should ask myself, "How does this reflect God's character? How does this teach me more about Him?"
While I may not always be able to answer those questions, at least I can be reading with intent and purpose. Over time, this will hopefully lead me to not only learning more about who God is, but what wisdom is and how I can continue to gain more of it in my life.
Proverbs 4:7 (NIV) says that wisdom is supreme; therefor get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.
That's a strongly worded imperative. If it's that important, I figured I'd better learn more about it than what I already knew. I, like many people, had a rather fuzzy definition of what wisdom was. I considered wisdom to be a subset of knowledge, but about important, spiritual things, you know?
The first question that popped into my mind in regard to Proverbs 4:7 was whether or not wisdom was different from understanding or if they were being used synonymously.
I hoped that the original Hebrew would hold a lot of the answers I needed, perhaps Hebrew had some special word for wisdom that held spiritual connotations that helped distinguish it from simple knowledge. After a few hours of flipping threw a concordance, I came to a few conclusions: First, Hebrew does not contain a special word for wisdom that contains hidden insight. Second, the English Bible is a fairly literal translation. When it says someone is wise it means someone who is skilled, a discerning judge or knowledgeable. In short, it means someone who is wise.
While it is reassuring to learn for myself about the precisely translated nature of the Bible, it didn't move me forward at all in my attempts to learn more about the importance of wisdom. If wisdom simply meant someone who was smart or discerning, then how could it be valued so highly? Important, yeah, but more so than everything else?
Given the absolute lack of insight provided by the concordance, it fell to studying wisdom in the context provided by Proverbs. One of the keys that I latched onto was the combination of the fear of the Lord and wisdom. Proverbs 1:7 says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. It echoes the inverse principle in Proverbs 1:29, Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord. The fear of the Lord is mentioned again and again in conjunction with wisdom throughout Proverbs.
One insight my study of the Hebrew did provide was the literal meaning of the word fear. The fear of the Lord simply means to hold God in a state of reverence. I went ahead and looked reverence up in the dictionary, as that still didn't help me understand what it meant to fear the Lord. The dictionary defined reverence as respect mingled with affection.
Respect and affection. While that particular combination may have been entirely coincidental in my dictionary, I really liked that definition for reverence (and thus fear as well). To me, respect implies a knowledge of who God is and affection would come from experiencing His character in your life. Knowledge and experience through relationship. I think that combination begins to reveal the true nature of wisdom and why it is so valued. Both are required and neither can supply wisdom alone.
A man who simply studies the Bible and learns about God's character, but never pursues the relationship with God, will only have a collection of facts no more useful for making decisions than sports statistics. Conversely, a person who has entered into a relationship with God, but hasn't studied and learned, will want to make wise decisions, but will lack a foundational knowledge of God on which to base his actions.
Only when a person studies and learns more about the character of God and experiences that character in their everyday lives will they be able to begin making wise decisions.
So ultimately, the definition I came up with for wisdom was:
Wisdom: The applied knowledge of God's character.
Now, there are two important notes I want to make before I close this post. First, Proverbs says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I don't think that what I have now is the complete definition of wisdom. Wisdom is listed in conjunction with other attributes, such as discipline and obedience, but the first and possibly most important is the fear of the Lord.
Second, a lot of this research began because I wasn't entirely sure how to apply the definitions of wisdom supplied by others. So how do I gain wisdom, based off the definition I came up with? It's no secret that the entire Bible is the story of God's desire for relationship with man. As such, many passages reflect directly on the character of God. So as I read the Bible, I need to study it with the intent of learning more about God. I should ask myself, "How does this reflect God's character? How does this teach me more about Him?"
While I may not always be able to answer those questions, at least I can be reading with intent and purpose. Over time, this will hopefully lead me to not only learning more about who God is, but what wisdom is and how I can continue to gain more of it in my life.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Emphasis on Nearly
Originally, I intended to use this blog as a place to simply write what I've been learning through devotions or post small insights that I gain from every day conversation. The emphasis in the title was meant to be on the word "Nearly". It wasn't meant to be deep or meaningful, just me sharing what I've learned. I started with what I wrote for my grandfather's funeral. It was a good starting block as it led rather intuitively to my second post.
Not that either were amazing literary works, but I've received enough compliments from that original post, and specifically my reading of it at the funeral, that I have begun to fear that I've set the bar too high. Everything that I think to post suddenly seems less meaningful than the one before it. I feel that by posting more I will sully the quality of what I've already written.
More often than not, I will start a project and not follow through on it to completion. Anyone who has known me for any significant period of time will know that this facet is endemic to my personality. It is not something I am pleased with. More often than not, however, it's because the creation of the concept was the interesting part and the actual follow-through feels far more mundane. With this blog, however, I've nearly quit because I know I can't write consistantly good and insightful material.
Too bad.
What I want to get out of this above all else is a place to write consistantly, to generate ideas consistently, to improve through practice and do so in a disciplined manner.
Therefore, not everything I write will be good. Some of it, perhaps most of it, will even be terrible. Deal with it. The only way to improve is through practice and a blog that others see is the best form of accountability.
Expect more to come soon.
Not that either were amazing literary works, but I've received enough compliments from that original post, and specifically my reading of it at the funeral, that I have begun to fear that I've set the bar too high. Everything that I think to post suddenly seems less meaningful than the one before it. I feel that by posting more I will sully the quality of what I've already written.
More often than not, I will start a project and not follow through on it to completion. Anyone who has known me for any significant period of time will know that this facet is endemic to my personality. It is not something I am pleased with. More often than not, however, it's because the creation of the concept was the interesting part and the actual follow-through feels far more mundane. With this blog, however, I've nearly quit because I know I can't write consistantly good and insightful material.
Too bad.
What I want to get out of this above all else is a place to write consistantly, to generate ideas consistently, to improve through practice and do so in a disciplined manner.
Therefore, not everything I write will be good. Some of it, perhaps most of it, will even be terrible. Deal with it. The only way to improve is through practice and a blog that others see is the best form of accountability.
Expect more to come soon.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
An Interesting Chorus
At Chi Alpha tonight, we sang Sonicflood's I Want To Know You. It's an older song, made semi-clichéd from over-exposure and over-use. However, the worship leader wanted us to focus on the lyrics though and not simply recite it from memory. I certainly got something new out of it. The chorus goes:
"I want to know You
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more
I want to touch You
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more"
After we sang that, Matthew 25:34-40 immediately came to mind. Allow me to share:
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'"
The passage continues with the King's surprised audience asking when they ever did any of those things for him.
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"
It occurred to me that, through the context of this verse, I could see Him, when he was in prison. I could bring comfort to the sick and in so-doing, touch Him. I could hear Him when I feed the hungry and clothe the poor.
But do I really want to know Him more?
"I want to know You
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more
I want to touch You
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more"
After we sang that, Matthew 25:34-40 immediately came to mind. Allow me to share:
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'"
The passage continues with the King's surprised audience asking when they ever did any of those things for him.
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"
It occurred to me that, through the context of this verse, I could see Him, when he was in prison. I could bring comfort to the sick and in so-doing, touch Him. I could hear Him when I feed the hungry and clothe the poor.
But do I really want to know Him more?
Thursday, March 6, 2008
My Mom the Theologian
After the private viewing before my grandfather's funeral, there was a lot of sitting around talking and sharing. It was during this time that my Mom said something rather profound about my grandfather. She said, "He didn't love us because we were the perfect family - we're far from perfect - we became the perfect family because of his love for us."
I wanted to chip in right then that she'd perfectly echoed G.K. Chesterton and had hit upon a rather foundational spiritual truth, but decided it wasn't really the time to share. In his book, Orthodoxy, Chesterton wrote, "Men did not love Rome because she was great. She was great because they had loved her."
Both Mom and Chesterton speak of the fundamental, transforming power of love. I have understood for some time now, that to truly change something, you do not criticize it, you do not judge it, you love it. I Peter 4:8 says, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." Love looks past the faults and sees someone for who they truly are, for who they can truly be.
As I sat there, listening to my family talk, however, I realized that loving someone is only the first step to changing them. Love allows you to see a person as they truly are, but that is not enough. I tell people I care about them regularly and they don't necessarily become better people because of it.
We need to encourage one another. Encouragement is communicating with another how you see them through love. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." This verse is awesome. Not only does this verse give the Thessalonians a command, but it encourages them to follow it! Paul is communicating what they need to do and saying, in love, that he knows they'll do it.
I realized that my Mom has done this for years and probably because of the legacy my grandfather has given her. It finally clicked after about the hundredth introduction at the funeral when she would say, "This is Brett. He's my creative son, he's my writer."
The simple truth of the matter is that I'm a writer that doesn't write very much. Regardless, to her, I am her writer. Whenever she said that, it reinforced the idea in my mind that I am a writer, I have worth as a writer and it made me want to write more.
If men simply loved Rome, but never spoke of their vision of what she could be, Rome would have been little more than a footnote in the pages of history. Love without encouragement has no transformative power whatsoever.
If we were to love others and communicate that love through encouragement, how would we change each other for the better? How would we change the campus? How would we change the world?
Far too often, I hear people say, "I only tease the people I care about." But long after the laughter fades, I guarantee the subtle barbs of your humor will be sticking in someone's heart. That sort of humor points out the flaws and sins of others. Love should cover a multitude of sins. Encouragement should communicate your vision of others as flawless.
Take a moment to think about the people you love. How have you encouraged them lately? What have you been reinforcing in their mind, their flaws or their strengths? What can you do today to encourage someone?
I wanted to chip in right then that she'd perfectly echoed G.K. Chesterton and had hit upon a rather foundational spiritual truth, but decided it wasn't really the time to share. In his book, Orthodoxy, Chesterton wrote, "Men did not love Rome because she was great. She was great because they had loved her."
Both Mom and Chesterton speak of the fundamental, transforming power of love. I have understood for some time now, that to truly change something, you do not criticize it, you do not judge it, you love it. I Peter 4:8 says, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." Love looks past the faults and sees someone for who they truly are, for who they can truly be.
As I sat there, listening to my family talk, however, I realized that loving someone is only the first step to changing them. Love allows you to see a person as they truly are, but that is not enough. I tell people I care about them regularly and they don't necessarily become better people because of it.
We need to encourage one another. Encouragement is communicating with another how you see them through love. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." This verse is awesome. Not only does this verse give the Thessalonians a command, but it encourages them to follow it! Paul is communicating what they need to do and saying, in love, that he knows they'll do it.
I realized that my Mom has done this for years and probably because of the legacy my grandfather has given her. It finally clicked after about the hundredth introduction at the funeral when she would say, "This is Brett. He's my creative son, he's my writer."
The simple truth of the matter is that I'm a writer that doesn't write very much. Regardless, to her, I am her writer. Whenever she said that, it reinforced the idea in my mind that I am a writer, I have worth as a writer and it made me want to write more.
If men simply loved Rome, but never spoke of their vision of what she could be, Rome would have been little more than a footnote in the pages of history. Love without encouragement has no transformative power whatsoever.
If we were to love others and communicate that love through encouragement, how would we change each other for the better? How would we change the campus? How would we change the world?
Far too often, I hear people say, "I only tease the people I care about." But long after the laughter fades, I guarantee the subtle barbs of your humor will be sticking in someone's heart. That sort of humor points out the flaws and sins of others. Love should cover a multitude of sins. Encouragement should communicate your vision of others as flawless.
Take a moment to think about the people you love. How have you encouraged them lately? What have you been reinforcing in their mind, their flaws or their strengths? What can you do today to encourage someone?
Words of Comfort
I wrote the following Sunday morning, March 2, 2008. It was mostly self-cathartic, but I wanted to post it here as it would form the foundation for my actual first post.
My grandfather passed away this morning. He died sitting in his chair at home - rather than at the hospital or nursing home - something that was very important to him; but is nearly too personal a fact for me to share. My grandfather and I were very different. He was a farmer all his life and I still don't know what I am; but I do know that I'm not a farmer. We never had a lot of common ground, in many ways, I think the generation gap was simply too broad. There is one thing we did have in common, though, and that was love.
My grandfather was a man who loved people unconditionally. I know of few men who are so able to embody love as he did to me. The Bible says that there is nothing more important than love. Love God, love each other; and my grandfather was a man who understood that and lived it.
He's gone now though. And I'm never going to see those twinkling blue eyes again or feel his warm embrace. I will never again be able to spend time on the farm with him or have him greet me at the door as I come to visit. I cannot help but hurt with the loss.
I find some comfort though, as countless have before me, in I Corinthians 15:35-56. It is especially fitting though, as it speaks in the metaphor of the farmer. "What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body."
My grandfather sowed richly in this life. I am a living testament to that, as are my brothers and parents and everyone whose lives he touched.
I Corinthians concludes with: When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
So even now, while I hurt, it is only the hurt of a lengthy absence I know I must endure. For I know that even now he in Heaven with God and that one day, I will be reunited with him there.
Though I don't feel it yet, I can and will take comfort in the words of scripture.
"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"
Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
My grandfather passed away this morning. He died sitting in his chair at home - rather than at the hospital or nursing home - something that was very important to him; but is nearly too personal a fact for me to share. My grandfather and I were very different. He was a farmer all his life and I still don't know what I am; but I do know that I'm not a farmer. We never had a lot of common ground, in many ways, I think the generation gap was simply too broad. There is one thing we did have in common, though, and that was love.
My grandfather was a man who loved people unconditionally. I know of few men who are so able to embody love as he did to me. The Bible says that there is nothing more important than love. Love God, love each other; and my grandfather was a man who understood that and lived it.
He's gone now though. And I'm never going to see those twinkling blue eyes again or feel his warm embrace. I will never again be able to spend time on the farm with him or have him greet me at the door as I come to visit. I cannot help but hurt with the loss.
I find some comfort though, as countless have before me, in I Corinthians 15:35-56. It is especially fitting though, as it speaks in the metaphor of the farmer. "What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body."
My grandfather sowed richly in this life. I am a living testament to that, as are my brothers and parents and everyone whose lives he touched.
I Corinthians concludes with: When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
So even now, while I hurt, it is only the hurt of a lengthy absence I know I must endure. For I know that even now he in Heaven with God and that one day, I will be reunited with him there.
Though I don't feel it yet, I can and will take comfort in the words of scripture.
"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"
Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)