Week 37: Let Your Light Shine

"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matt. 5:14-16

Over the last few weeks, I've tried to forget the various evangelism formulas and strategies that I've been taught while taking a fresh look at what Jesus said about our role in helping others to know God. It turns out there are not seven easy steps to win people to Christ. There are only two steps. They are, however, perhaps not so easy.

Step One: Joyful Suffering

Jesus commands us Christians to live our lives in such a way that when others look at us they will glorify our Father in heaven. Jesus says, "let your light shine." Which, begs the question, what light? The answer, Jesus says, is that "You are the light of the world." In other words, letting your light shine is not about being something you're not. It's about being what God designed you and destined you to be. "You are the light!" Why would your light cause people to glorify God? Because God in you is the source of your light. What does all that mean in practical terms?

This passage of the Sermon on the Mount comes just after Jesus has given the beatitudes. The closest beatitude in proximity to this passage is: "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matt. 5:11-12. I think what Jesus means when he says "let your light shine" is exactly what he suggested in the final verses of the beatitudes. Rejoice and be glad in the midst of insults and persecution and life's inevitable hardships. In other words, why would God be glorified by our joy in the midst of happy prosperous circumstances? Aren't even ungodly people joyful when all is right with their world? But, when we face hardships and difficulties and still have joy as a result of God in us, then God is glorified.

We shouldn't be surprised, then, that when we ask God to make us lights in our community or our workplaces that we face difficulties. God's light in us shines most brightly in the darkest of circumstances. The Apostle Peter put it this way:

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

1 Peter 4:12-14. So, here is step one, in God's easy plan for winning people to Christ: suffer joyfully. That's probably not going to sell many books, but there you have it. It's God's plan; not mine.

How can we have joy in the midst of difficulties? The answer, Jesus says, is, "because great is your reward in heaven!" What awaits us in heaven? The presence of our Lord. When He becomes more precious to us than anything else, then we have a joy that will last in the midst of hardship. Then, our lives will be a light to the world.

Step Two: Joyful Surrender

Jesus says, "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds . . . ." Jesus is not saying that our good deeds by themselves will cause others to glorify God. Our good works are not the light. Good works are meaningless, unless they are done in the glow of God's light.

On the other hand, our "good deeds" are a necessary part of God's plan. When you follow Jesus and love Him, He demands that you take part in His work. What does it mean to take part in God's work? What I've discovered over the last thirty-six weeks is that God commands every part of our lives. He commands our thoughts, our emotions, and actions. He commands how we relate to Him, to our families, to our church, and to the world. He has a plan and purpose for every moment of every day of our lives. Above all else, he commands us to love God and love others. Following Jesus requires nothing less than absolute and complete surrender to Him. When we joyfully surrender our lives to him realizing that He is absolutely beyond a shadow of a doubt much more than worth it, then others will see our good deeds and God will be glorified.

P.S.

I've left a few very important questions about joy unanswered. What is Christian joy? Can it be commanded? It is, by the way. And, how do we respond to God's command to be joyful? More on all that, God willing, when we get to the final week of The Project and The Project's final command: "Rejoice in the Lord always." Philippians 4:4.

Week 36: Go and Be Reconciled

"[I]f you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift." ~ Matt 5:23-24

Jesus came so that we could get right with God. He also came so that we could get right with one another. Reconciliation takes one party seeking repentance and the other party forgiving through the power of the cross. Way back in Week Two, I struggled with the command to forgive. This is the other side of things.

What should we do when we have wrongfully hurt another? "Go and be reconciled to them!" This command is a call to humble ourselves, reach out to those who we have hurt, and to repent. This is such a high priority to Jesus that he says we should take care of reconciliation before making our offerings to God.

I've been struggling with this one for a couple weeks. At first, I knew exactly what God was calling me to do, and I didn't want to do it. And, then, I did it and didn't know how to write about it without betraying another person's confidence and privacy. Back when I was dealing with repentance and confession in Weeks 3 and 6, the Spirit brought to my mind an old sin I had committed about twenty years ago against a person who was close to me at the time. It was not the end our relationship, but, looking back, it was probably the beginning of us drifting apart. We haven't talked at all in several years. When I went through the process of repentance and confession, I felt that God was calling me to reach out to this person and to apologize. I've been putting it off, dreading it. I finally made the phone call this week. To be honest, it was a rather awkward conversation, but I think it was ultimately a healing and freeing conversation for both of us.

Then, the other day, I yelled at my wife, Christina. She said something to me, which I took offense at and got angry. It had been an awful day at work, and I chose to take it out on Christina. I yelled at her in front of the boys. I think it's the first time I've ever done that. I knew right away that I had really blown it. And, it still took me about 24 hours before I apologized to her. I apologized to the boys, too. I explained to them that what I had done was wrong and that I had already apologized to Mommy. My seven year old, God bless him, said, "Yeah, Dad, I was thinking that you shouldn't talk to Mommy like that." Ugh. How low do you think that made me feel?

I can't sugar coat it. It's a terribly humbling thing to stand in front of somebody and say, "I messed up. What I did was wrong. There's no excuse for it. I know I hurt you. I'm sorry." It's a frightful thing to stand before someone you've hurt, make yourself vulnerable to them, and then hope for mercy. That is, however, exactly what God calls us to. Whether we are the wrongdoer or the one who has been wrongfully hurt, our Lord calls us to take the lead in seeking reconciliation.

Doesn't it make sense that reconciliation should be difficult and painful? Sin is a serious thing. It can't be dealt with flippantly. Jesus suffered and died so that we could be reconciled to God. The cross also gives us believers the power to be reconciled to one another. When it happens the right way, when there is humble repentance on one side and forgiveness on the other, God is glorified, and wounds are healed.

Week 35: Don't Worry About Tomorrow

"Do not worry about tomorrow." Matthew 6:34

Back in Week Five, I wrote about my first trip down Sniper Alley in Sarajevo.

I was twenty-one years old and scared out of my wits. It was the end of 1995, a few days after Christmas. I had been deployed to Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina as an Army Reservist to take part in NATO's implementation of the recently signed Dayton Peace Agreement. Sarajevo had been under siege for the last three years---the longest siege of any city in the history of modern warfare. The main boulevard through the city had been nicknamed Sniper Alley. Snipers had infamously dug in all along both sides of the road, wounding over one-thousand people and killing over two-hundred men, women and children.

Buildings all over the city were in ruins. Sarajevo had once been a developed, modern city---the home of the 1984 Winter Olympics. When I saw it for the first time, it looked like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie.

My first stop in Sarajevo was Zetra Stadium. In 1984, it had been the home of Olympic figure skating, speed skating and hockey. Only eight years later, the roof was blown off by artillery fire. The basement was converted to a morgue. Whatever wood that could be salvaged from the building was used to build improvised coffins. When NATO arrived, the stadium was converted into a temporary barracks and headquarters. It was my home address for my first few months in Bosnia. We slept right on the spot where the bodies had been piled.

That first night in Sarajevo, there in the basement of Zetra stadium, I opened my Bible to Matthew 6, and Jesus's words came alive for me.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Matthew 6:25-26. What a difference it made to believe that I was valuable to my heavenly Father---that His love for me was real and present and that I could trust His protection and provision. Faith rose up in me and peace came over my heart and mind.

These days, I'm not living in a combat zone. I'm a trial lawyer. For lawyers, worry is an occupational hazard. A 1990 John Hopkins study found that out of all professions studied lawyers are most likely to suffer from depression. Alcoholism and suicide are much more prevalent among lawyers than among the general population. Lawyers are also at a much higher risk of stress related illness than the general population. It's a business where you're judged on results. And, very often, the results you obtain depend on factors beyond your own control. So, how do we, as a profession, respond? We worry. We stress.

I'm no exception. I constantly struggle with worry and anxiety about my work. I've been preparing for a trial the last month and have been stressed about it. So, very appropriately, the assignment for last week was to "not worry about tomorrow."

Over the years of practicing law, I've often gone back to that lesson I learned in Sarajevo. The antidote for worry, fear and anxiety, is to turn my attention from tomorrow's problems and towards God's promises. A few nights ago, God drew me back to Matthew 6, reminded me of that night in the basement of Zetra fifteen years ago, and reminded me that His love is still very real and present for today and tomorrow. Here are some other promises that God has highlighted for me in times of stress and fear.

• "Fear not for I am with you, be not discouraged for I am your God; I will help you, I will strengthen you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:10.
• "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31
• "And the Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; he will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear, or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:8
• "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord." Proverbs 21:31
• "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning." Lamentations 3:22-23

Week 34: Keep in Step with the Spirit

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." ~ Galatians 5:22-25

A few weeks ago, God convicted me that in my effort to obey His commands, I had committed the sin of pride. The sin isn't that I'm proud of my obedience. I'm not. If you've been reading this blog, then you know it's more about my failures than my successes. My sin has been in thinking that I could transform my life by my own power---that by sheer will power I could make myself more like Jesus. That's not just been my attitude for the last year. It's been my attitude for my whole Christian life. The truth is that I'm a proud person and like to feel self-sufficient.

God's conviction has at least given me another chance to practice repentance. And, now, a bit of confession to all of you. Maybe you noticed that The James 1:22 Project has been on hiatus for three weeks. The truth is that I've been extraordinarily busy at work and home and haven't had much time for blogging. I've also been thinking and praying about whether I should continue the blog.

Over the last couple weeks, God has repeatedly brought me back to Galatians, Chapter Five. What I've grasped (and this never sank in before) is the Apostle Paul's emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit in changing believers. Many times in my life, I've looked at the list of the fruit of the Spirit---love, joy, peace, etcetera, and resolved that I would change my life to better exemplify those qualities. What has never sunk in before is that all of those things (love, joy, peace, etcetera) are the fruit of the Spirit---not the fruit of human effort. Self-control, for example, is a fruit of the Spirit. In other words, self-control is beyond my control! I can't make myself be more self-controlled. According to Galatians 5:18, "If [we] are led by the Spirit, [we] are not under the law." It's doesn't say, "if we follow. . . ." It says, "if we are led."

The Spirit takes the initiative.

The Spirit leads us.

The Spirit changes our character.

The Spirit causes us to obey with right hearts.

We can't possibly transform ourselves. So, what are the practical implications? Is it wrong for Christians to make an intentional effort to do what the Bible says? Should we just do what feels right, depending on the Spirit to give us pure hearts? And, what does all this mean for The James 1:22 Project?

There's another side to Galatians, Chapter Five. According to Paul, we don't play a completely passive role. We are commanded to "live by the Spirit" (Gal. 5:16) and to "keep in step with the Spirit" (Gal. 5:25). God commands us (our thoughts, emotions, speech, and conduct), because we have some measure of free will. We don't have the ability to put to death our sinful nature by our own power. God does ask us, however, to choose whether we will trust and follow His plan or pursue the desires of the flesh.

I don't think "living by the Spirit" or "keeping in step with the Spirit" rules out making an effort to obey God's commands. To the contrary, I think that part of keeping in the step with the Spirit is choosing, over and over again, God's plan over our sinful desires. That, however, cannot be the end of it, or we would have a tendency to fall right back into prideful, self-reliant, legalism. To live by the Spirit means to choose, over and over again, God's plan over our sinful desires, while daily repenting of our self-reliance and confessing that we cannot conquer our sinful nature without the Spirit's power.

The James 1:22 Project continues. Stay tuned for Week 35. We're on the home stretch, with six weeks to go.

Week 33: Love Your Enemies

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?Do not even pagans do that?" ~ Matthew 5:43-47

I'm a trial lawyer. On a daily basis, I'm engaged in an aggressive adversarial process. The idea behind the American civil justice system is that when two parties have a dispute that they are not able to resolve, instead of slugging it out or shooting it out, they will hire lawyers who will fight it out in court. Litigation is a civilized proxy for physical combat. Sometimes, however, it's not very civilized. In fact, things can become very hostile and unpleasant. I don't consider every attorney on the opposite side of a case to be my enemy. Despite the reputation of lawyers, many of them are as gracious as possible within the adversarial system. Some lawyers, however, have earned their bad reputation. And, if you're a trial lawyer, you can never forget that even the nicest lawyer on the other side is still on the other side, and his job is to defeat you.

What does it mean for us Christians to love those who oppose us? In this passage, Jesus shows us a couple of practical things that we should do. In verse 47, Jesus indicates that we ought to greet them. In other words, we don't have permission to snub or ignore those who oppose us. In verse 45, Jesus says that God causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall on the unrighteous and the righteous. In other words, God meets the physical needs of those who follow Him and those who oppose Him. If we are sons of God, then we should have the same character. So, as far as we are able, we should meet the needs of those who oppose us. In verse 44, Jesus says we ought to pray for our enemies. How should we pray for them? By following the model that Jeus gives just a few verses after commanding his disciples to pray for their enemies. We should pray for God's kingdom and will to come to the lives of those who oppose us. We should pray that God would lead them to repentance. We should pray that God would meet their needs and show us how we might help them. Finally, we should pray that God would forgive them for their sins, help us to forgive them, and forgive us for our unforgiveness.

I've always tried to be kind and courteous to opposing attorneys. For me, this passage places spiritual significance on those relationships. We ought to be kind to others, not based on a hope that cosmic karma will return that kindness to us, but out of obedience to our Lord and based on trust in Him.

This passage has also been a call to pray for my adversaries, which I've never done before this last week. As I've tried to pray for those who oppose me, the prayers have sometimes been difficult to speak. When someone has been unkind, rude or dishonest to me, it's difficult for me to wish them well. My natural tendency is to want to see them punished. I want justice, darn it!

From where does the power to sincerely bless our enemies come? I believe it comes from faith in God's justice. Several times this week, God has reminded me that He is just and that justice belongs to Him. For those of us who follow Jesus, God's justice for our sins was satisfied on the cross. As for those who reject Jesus, there will be justice for their sins also.

Week 32: Share With God's People

"Share with God's people in need. Practice hospitality." ~ Romans 12:13

Back in April and May, I spent several weeks focusing on "one another" commands: encourage one another, serve one another, offer hospitality to one another, and greet one another with a holy kiss. These commands show us the way to live out the great command to love one another. They are specific, practical instructions about how we Christians are to live together.

One thing I'll take away from The James 1:22 Project is a stronger than ever conviction that God calls Christians to have deep affection for one another and to be in deep fellowship. You can't be a Christian all by yourself. Being actively involved in a community of believers is not merely beneficial to Christians; it's absolutely essential. As Christians, we're called to share with one another everything God has given to us: words of encouragement, talents and abilities, time, and affection. The call to care for one another and share with one another extends to our physical resources, including, as we see in Romans 12:13, our homes and our money.

The Book of Acts gives us a picture of what Romans 12:13 looked like in practice in the first century church:

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 2:42-47.

Following the example of the early church in 21st century urban/suburban America is a huge challenge. The truth is that, in our church (CityLights) we're not physically "all together"---not even close. My family lives 37 miles east of the church, and other families live almost as far away to the north, west and south. As a result, authentic Christian fellowship is a huge challenge. Putting Romans 12:13 into practice takes planning and effort. For my family, it happens mostly (although not exclusively) in the context of small group life. Every Thursday evening our little band of Jesus followers (regular people with jobs and kids and other commitments) comes together to study God's word, to pray and to fellowship. It's made all the difference for Christina and me, and I'm so thankful for our dear friends in small group.

When Josie was born, we saw a great example of Romans 12:13 in practice. People from CityLights brought us meals for a month! A month of meals! And, keep in mind, we're a smallish church---only about 150 people on Sundays. Also bear in mind that we live about 45 minutes from the church. Some folks were driving over an hour to bring us a meal, and a lot of people did that twice. By the way, the food was excellent. The meals not only filled a need for us, but also made us feel loved. They made us feel, more than ever, a part of CityLights. This last week was about giving a little back to a couple families in the church---not out of a sense of indebtedness, but just because that's what Christians do.

Weeks 30 & 31: Rejoice With Those Who Rejoice; Mourn With Those Who Mourn

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." ~ Romans 12:15

A few weeks ago, Christina and I attended a 25th wedding anniversary party for some very dear friends who have devoted their lives to loving God and His people. A couple Sundays ago we attended a baby dedication for our new niece and nephew---miracle babies that, according to medical science, should never have been conceived. No doubt these were occasions worth celebrating.

I've always tried, however, to avoid those types of occasions---the big events with a crowd of people. I'm an introvert. It's not that I don't like people; I just like them in small doses. I'm recharged by being alone or with a few close friends. I'm drained by being in a large group of people. When it comes to weddings, I always tell Christina the same stuff: "What difference does it make if I go? There's gonna' be 200 people there. Nobody will notice whether I'm there or not."

In the last few weeks, however, God has used these commands to convict me of my selfishness and self-centeredness. He's shown me how petty my rationalizing is and how pathetic my excuses. These commands (rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn) call us us Christians out of preoccupation with self and and away from self-oriented thinking.

Being comfortable isn't the point. Being noticed certainly isn't the point. In fact, maybe sometimes being uncomfortable and/or not noticed is the point. God calls us to forget about ourselves and our convenience and to join with the feelings of others.

I don't think these commands are just about attending the big events, although my perspective on weddings and funerals will probably never be the same. I think it's also about celebrating and mourning the small victories and losses suffered by others. In my life, the call to rejoice with those who rejoice is not only a call to rejoice over weddings and births, but also a call to rejoice with my son over success on a spelling quiz or over a really neat paper airplane that he's made. The command to mourn with those who mourn is a call to be there for those who have suffered a tragic loss. Sadly, last week we attended the funeral visitation for a dear friend's brother who died far too young. On a daily basis, however, the call to mourn with those who mourn is a call to be there for those who suffer smaller but still significant losses. The command is a call, for example, to sympathize with a co-worker who has just suffered through a difficult phone call with a rude and insulting person. It's a call to sympathize with my spouse who has just had a very difficult day, even though I've also had a difficult day.

Something else I've noticed is what God does not command here. He doesn't command us to give advice to those who mourn. He doesn't command us to solve the problems of those who mourn. He doesn't even call us to speak encouraging words to those who mourn. There is a time for words of encouragement, and there is a time to speak the truth in love. In choosing our words and our timing, I believe we must be guided by Godly wisdom and the leading of the Holy Spirit. But let's not forget that the right response to those who mourn is often simply to join hands with them and to share in their grief.

Week 29: Honor Your Parents

"'Honor your father and mother'"--which is the first commandment with a promise--'that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on earth.'" Eph. 6:2

What is it like for you to pick out Father's Day or Mother's Day cards? There are the sappy Father's Day cards with pictures of sailboats or dad and lad playing catch. They say things like: "You were always there for me...," or "Thank your for your wonderful example." Or, the Mother's Day cards with flowers that talk about how kind and gentle mother is. For me, sentiments like that feel dishonest and insincere. And, so, if I purchase a card at all it is always a comical one. In recent years, I've just foregone the card and had my folks over for dinner. The greeting card industry is not very good at doing what God commands---honoring imperfect parents. The command, after all, is honor your father and mother. Not honor your father and mother, unless . . . . There are no exceptions.

You can't really blame the greeting card people. It's a very tricky thing. Over the years, I've given a lot of thought to this command and to the issue of honoring imperfect parents. I'm left with more questions than answers. How does one honor an alcoholic father? Does honoring him mean pretending that there's nothing wrong? Does honoring him mean forgetting about the past? Or hiding his sins and my hurts?

I wouldn't know what to tell someone about how to honor, for example, a physically abusive parent. For me, I feel that honoring my parents has been about forgiving them for their mistakes and thanking them for what they were able to give me. And, then, it's been about giving them my love, time, service, hospitality and encouragement. Sometimes, it has meant giving them those things even though they don't know how to receive them.

Sunday was my parents' 46th Anniversary. It's been a hard 46 years, but through it all they've somehow stayed together. Their committment to marriage is something worth celebrating and something that I'm sure has profoundly blessed me in ways that I can't begin to understand. Christina and I invited them over for Sunday dinner. I told them that 46 years was a big deal and something that we wanted to celebrate with them. I made some of their favorite things: steaks, twice baked potatoes and grilled veggies. They spent a little time with their grandkids. We had ice cream. They left. I don't have an ideal relationship with my parents, and I probably never will. I don't think honoring my parents requires me to deny that. I don't think "honoring" means pretending that everything is the way it should be. It does not mean buying the sappy card. I've come to believe that honoring my imperfect parents means moving beyond my regrets and sense of loss and giving thanks for the parents God gave me and loving them as they are the best that I can. I pray that someday my kids can do as much for their very imperfect dad.

Week 28: The One Who Asks

"Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." ~ Matthew 5:42

This week's command started me thinking about panhandlers. We don't see many of them out here in the suburbs, although I've noticed a few more lately hanging out at the Interstate off-ramps and outside of Wal-Mart. In St. Louis, where we go to church and often visit friends, we see them frequently. For short periods of time, I've lived in other places, including Chicago and the Balkans, where rampant panhandling existed.

Over the years, with a few exceptions, my strategy for dealing with panhandlers has been to walk (or drive) quickly past them without making eye contact. I'm not without compassion for the poor, but I hate being taken advantage of. A lot of panhandlers are not what they seem. Most are not homeless. If you give money away to panhandlers, some of them will turn around and use it to buy drugs and alcohol. Some panhandlers are also making a pretty good living at it. If you want to learn a bit more, check out this article from SeattlePI.com.

Many groups that advocate on behalf of the poor ask people not to give money to panhandlers, but rather to give money to worthy organizations that help meet the basic needs of homeless people. In St. Louis, it doesn't get more worthy than The Bridge.

So, the panhandler issue seems pretty clear. It's just not wise to give to panhandlers. Right? Once again, I'm running up against the uncompromising nature of these Biblical commands. There's no loophole in this command. There's no room for excuses and justifications. It's simply: "Give to the one who asks you."

Feeling cornered by a command that I really don't like, I turned to John Piper this week. I was hoping that Piper, one of our great living Christian Bible scholars, could put this command into context and help me understand why I don't need to give to panhandlers. No such luck. Here is what Pastor Piper has to say:

Suppose you die and you're standing before Jesus Christ, who surrendered his body to spitting and shame and torture and death so that undeserving sinners (like you and me) might be drawn into eternal joy, and he inquires how you handled the people who asked you for money - you know, panhandlers, beggars, street people, drunks, drifters. What would you say?

. . .

[Y]our'e not going to feel very good about saying, "I never got taken advantage of. I saw through their schemes. I devloped really shrewd counter-questions that would expose them. So I hardly ever had to give anything." Do you know what I think the Lord Jesus is going to say to that - the Lord Jesus, the consummately, willingly, savingly abused and exploited Jesus? I think he is going to say, "That was an exquisite imitation of the world. Even sinners give to those who deserve to be given to. Even sinners pride themselves on not being taken advantage of."

John Piper, Palm Sunday Sermon, April 13, 2003

I'm stuck. There's no denying what this command requires. The only question is whether I will follow Him, or not. For us Christians, obedience is not optional. To paraphrase Martin Luther, if you're not going to do what your Bible says, then just throw it in the garbage with the banana peels and the used coffee filters.

To be honest, however, I still don't feel very good about handing cash to panhandlers knowing that many of them will use it to supply their drug and alcohol habits. Certainly there is room for wisdom and discernment as we seek to apply God's commands in our lives. I think it's a question of motives. If we're holding back from giving because we can't stand the possibility of being taken advantage of, then our hearts are wrong. If we're reluctant to hand out cash because we don't want to enable substance abuse, then I think that's OK. So, here, for lack of a better word, is my "compromise."

I've loaded up my wallet, my Honda, and our family Swagger Wagon with McDonald's gift certificates. They come in one-dollar denominations. The plan is to give a couple gift certificates to panhandlers, in lieu of cash. There are over 31,000 McDonald's restaurants in the United States, which means that if you're near civilization there's one within walking distance. McDonald's has a lot of stuff on its $1 menu, including yogurt parfaits (my favorite McDonald's item), cheeseburgers, fruit pies, small drinks, and side salads. I haven't run into any panhandlers since I picked up the gift certificates, but I'm excited about being prepared to respond with some practical help.

The McDonald's Dollar Menu:

Week 27: The Man with Eight Tunics

John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." ~ Luke 3:11

John the Baptist paved the way for Jesus, calling people to repentance. And, of all the things he could have identified as evidence of true repentance, he focused on conduct related to money and possessions. If we have extra clothing and food, then we should share with those that don't have enough. Tax collectors and soldiers should not take more money, John said, than what they are legally entitled to. John 3:12-14. The message is clear: having faith in God and His promises changes how one accumulates and manages wealth.

Everything that we have is from God and belongs to Him. If we really believed that, then it would be naturally expressed in how we make money, give it away, save it and spend it. We wouldn't need any further instructions. In God's great wisdom and knowing that we are still works in progress, He gives us some specific guidelines. The tithe is one example. It's one thing to say that everything you have belongs to God, it's something else entirely to give the first ten percent of your income to His church. As we live out God's commands about money and possessions, our hearts turn towards God and our faith in Him grows. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:34.

For the next few weeks, The James 1:22 Project will focus on commands related to giving and caring for the poor and needy. John the Baptist gives us a good starting point. If you have more clothes or food than you need, share with those who have less than they need. This isn't a call to sacrificial giving. It's a call to give out of your surplus. It's "Giving 101."

A few times each year, City Lights, sponsors a "free day" for needy families in our community. Church members are invited to donate food and new and gently used clothes. A couple of incredibly diligent and gifted young women put in a lot of work behind the scenes getting things organized and recruiting helpers. It's a practical way for City Lights to help families in our community and a great opportunity to practice obeying this command.

It's a bit tricky to blog about giving. We're not supposed to announce our giving with trumpets to be honored by men. So, let me just make this confession. I had eight coats. Eight! A few of them I had received as gifts. One was an Army issued overcoat that hasn't fit me for about ten years. But, regardless of how I got them, I had eight coats hanging in my closet. We've been doing "free day" at City Lights for a few years. Christina and I have always made a donation, but it's never occurred to me to give away some of my surplus coats. My failure wasn't due to greed. I didn't really want all of those coats. Keeping them, rather than giving them away, was a result of neglect and thoughtlessness, pure and simple. The lesson for me this week is that I should be more mindful of the surplus that God has given me and more intentional about giving from that surplus.

Week 26: Rotten, Unwholesome Talk

The command for last week was Ephesians 4:29.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (NIV)

"Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps; each word a gift." (The Message)

"No rotten talk should come from your mouth, but only what is good for the building up of someone in need, in order to give grace to those who hear." (Holman Christian Standard)

The goal was to watch the way I talked and to not say anything rotten or unwholesome, but to say only helpful encouraging things. As usual, the result was a mix of success and failure. As I paid closer attention to my speech, I realized that some things I say, at work and at home, are just plain mean. At the office, cutting humor and sarcasm are widespread. In fact, it's the predominant way that co-workers talk to each other. Have you ever noticed how much humor is based on tearing others down? Or, how much mean-spirited talk is passed off as humor? I'm as guilty as anyone of engaging in it.

At home, I speak too harshly to my boys. I've recently started the nasty habit of telling the boys to "shut-up." It usually happens like this. I've asked one of them to do something simple. "Son, go wash your hands for supper." The boy proceeds to tell me that he hasn't had enough time to play or that he doesn't want any supper or that he just washed his hands yesterday. "Son, SHUT-UP, and go wash your hands!" When I say it, there's no affection, good will, or grace in it. It comes from a place of frustration, anger and pride. I just want to be obeyed, and now. It offends my pride that a seven-year old, or a four-year old argues with me. So, just "shut-up" and do what I asked. All very normal for parents. And, sinful.

The Bible calls us to look at our language in a new way. We're commanded to make our speech a means of grace and encouragement. In other words, it's not Christian to just stop saying mean, nasty, dirty things. The mark of a Christian is someone who says grace-filled encouraging things. I learned in weeks twenty-four and twenty-five that the best way to get rid of complaining speech is to replace it with thanksgiving. Likewise, Paul tells us in Ephesians that the way to get rid of any type of unwholesome speech is to replace it with grace-filled, encouraging speech.

How can we succeed in transforming our speech? Ultimately, it is a work of God in us. Our words are the overflow of our hearts. A Christian indwelled by the Holy Spirit is cleansed from the inside out, and God's work of sanctification in our hearts will bear fruit in our lives and speech. On the other hand, we're not excused from working cooperatively with the Spirit as we're in process. In our speech as in all areas of our lives, we are called to work out our salvation. It's not just that our hearts direct our speech. Our speech also directs our hearts, like a ship's rudder or the bit in a horse's mouth. See James 3:3-6. It's what comes out our mouths that makes us unclean. Matthew 15:11. I'm praying that God would uproot anger and mean-spiritedness from my heart and that the fruit of the Spirit (kindness, goodness, gentleness) would overflow. I'm also resolving to work at replacing my rotten, unwholesome talk with grace-filled encouraging speech.

Our Little Darling Josie

"When Josie comes home
So good
She's the pride of the neighborhood."
~ Josie by Steely Dan

"God bless you darling Josie
With your sparklin' eyes so bright and clear
Josie, I won't fail ya,
I won't fail you; have no fear."
~ Josie by Donovan

This has absolutely nothing directly to do with the The James 1:22 Project, but I know many of my readers will be curious about our little darling Josie and anxious for more pictures. We're all doing fairly well. Having a new baby is one thing. Having a new baby with two little boys underfoot is something else entirely. We're hanging in there, thanks to the support, help and prayers we've received from friends and family. Just when things were starting to feel manageable again, I came down with a stomach bug this weekend. [To be honest, the stomach bug was pretty awful. On the other hand, I'm thankful: (1) for the extra time in the sanctuary of my bathroom to get some reading done, (2) that I've survived it, and (3) that, for now, it hasn't spread to anyone else in the family!] We'll take all the prayers we can get.

Our dear friend Casey gave us her Saturday morning to take some photographs of our darling Josie. The pictures are beautiful. We're grateful for Casey's time, talent, obedience to God and, most of all, her friendship. Bless you and your family, Casey. Thank you for serving us in this wonderful way. Here is a sample photo, below. Casey, if you want to sue over this flagrant copyright violation, I know a good lawyer. You can see some more lovely pictures over at Casey's blog.

Weeks 24 & 25 (Part 2): Don't Complain; Give Thanks

"Do everything without complaining or arguing." ~ Phil. 2:14

"Always [give] thanks to God for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." ~ Eph. 5:20

Our daughter, Josie Leigh, was born Friday, July 23, 2010 at 10:13 p.m. She weighed eight pounds and thirteen ounces. As you can see, she has a head full of dark hair and is very beautiful.

For the last two weeks, The James 1:22 Project has been about replacing complaining speech with thankful speech. The idea is that thankfulness and complaining are incompatible, so I was trying to replace complaining with thanksgiving. You might look at that little darling in the photograph above and think that it would be very easy for me to be thankful right now. And, you would be right. I have plenty to be thankful for. But, as all of you parents know, the blessing of a new baby also comes with stress, fatigue, dirty diapers, and spit-up. Over the last two weeks, in my effort to give thanks and not complain, I've had a mix of success and failure.

One thing I saw over the last two weeks is that my speech directs my mind and heart just as much as my mind and heart direct my speech. The more I gave thanks during the last couple weeks, the more I felt thankful and blessed. Popular psychology would attribute this experience to something called "cognitive dissonance." Basically, the theory of cognitive dissonance is that the mind cannot continue to hold two opposing ideas. So, if you say that you are thankful when you do not feel thankful, then eventually your mind will resolve the conflict by convincing itself that you are, in fact, thankful. Cognitive dissonance theory was developed in the 1950s. The Book of James was written about nineteen hundred years earlier, and, I think provides a much more elegant description of the relationship between our tongues and the rest of us. According to James, your speech is like a bit in your mouth that determines your direction. Using another metaphor, James says that what you say is the rudder that sets the course for your ship. Thus, if we can control our speech, then we will gain control over our minds and bodies as well. James 3:2-6.

Another thing that I noticed over the last two weeks is that thankfulness and complaining are both highly contagious. Almost invariably, if I started giving thanks for things, then I would notice people around me also saying that they were thankful for something. Complaining works the same way, only more so. If thankfulness is as contagious as the flu, then complaining is like ebola or the bubonic plague. This effect is multiplied with kids. I spent a lot of time with my two boys last week, and I used them as guinea pigs. If I mentioned in their presence two or three things that I was thankful for, then without any other prompting from me the boys would start talking about what they were thankful for. On the other hand, if I complained about even one thing, then they would also immediately start complaining.

This week (week 26), I'm done with baby leave and am back to work. For The James 1:22 Project, I'll be concentrating on another speech related command.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. . . . But among you there must not be . . . obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

Eph. 4:29, 5:3-4.

More on that in about one week. Until then, grace and peace to you.

Weeks 24 & 25 (Preview): Don't Complain; Give Thanks

"Do everything without complaining or arguing." Phil. 2:14

"Always [give] thanks to God for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Eph. 5:20

I'm merging weeks twenty-four and twenty-five. I have two reasons for this. First, I expect to be pretty busy for the next couple weeks, and this will somewhat ease the posting burden. Second, these commands go together. Thankfulness and complaining can't exist in the same space, and the idea for the next two weeks is to replace complaining speech with thankful speech.

Within the next couple days, my beloved wife Christina will give birth to our third child and first daughter, Josie Leigh. That's right; "Josie" never appeared on the baby name poll. Sorry. I did say it was a non-binding poll.

The name "Josie" is a short form of Josephine, which is a feminine form of Joseph. The meaning of "Joseph" is "Jehovah increases." Isn't that true? God increases, and He often does it in unexpected ways. There are two major biblical characters named Joseph, and the truth that "God increases" is illustrated by both of their lives. When Jacob's son, Joseph, was young, he had visions that his brothers would someday bow down to him. He never envisioned, however, the path that God would take him down---through slavery, prison, and eventually to Pharaoh's right hand. Jesus's earthly father, Joseph, knew that he was getting a wife and probably looked forward to having children, but he never imagined that his bride would bear the Christ-child.

I'm thirty-five years old, and I'm not living the life that I planned. When I was a kid and a younger man, I had a lot of ambitions. I had no ambition, however, to become a husband or father. I had my plans, but the Lord directed my steps. He's given me much more than I dreamed of. Christina and I have been married for over ten years. She has enriched my life, and I am amazed at how great and growing are the blessings God has given us. To be honest, I was never super excited about having kids. As God has increased my family, however, He has expanded my heart. Now, I think our boys are amazing and precious, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. When I think about the life I wanted and compare it to the life God has given me, there is really no comparison at all. God has given me a life immeasurably bigger, richer, and better than anything I ever imagined.

I still had mixed feelings about adding a third child to the family. To be honest (and I'm still trying to be more honest), I didn't want another kid at all! It's been four years since Christina and I dealt with late night feedings, poopy diapers and spit-up. And, we're four years older. And, I don't remember all that stuff being any fun seven years ago or four years ago. On some level, however, I know that this is God increasing. I know that a little girl is a tremendous blessing. I know that as God increases our family, He will once again expand my heart.

On the other hand, I'm inclined to lose perspective when elbow deep in poopy diapers and spit-up. Being honest again, I'm generally inclined to complain and grumble about life and to not be thankful. So, here is my assignment for Weeks 24 and 25: to do everything without complaining and grumbling, and to always give thanks to God.

There's something else that strikes me about the story of Joseph (Jacob's son). Through betrayal, slavery and prison, he never complained about his circumstances. What was his secret? I think it was that he never stopped believing that God was good and in control. His core belief about God's sovereignty is what freed him to be thankful in all circumstances and even to forgive his brothers who betrayed him. Joseph was able to say that everything that had happened in his life was intended by God for His good purposes. Gen. 45:4-8, 50:15-21.

I hope and pray that as I try to replace complaining with thankfulness in my speech and heart that my daughter's name, "Josie," will serve as a reminder of Joseph's example, that God increases, and that He is good and always in control.

Week 23: Speak Truthfully

"Therefore, each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body." ~ Ephesians 4:25

In the spirit of this week's command, here is some honesty about this blog. The truth is I'd rather be watching the baseball game right now than writing this post, but I don't want people to think I'm a quitter. So, here I am. The truth is that sometimes I'm sorry that I ever started The James 1:22 Project. The truth is I'm not completely sure why I started this or why I keep going. The truth is that I probably have mixed motives about it. I really want to become a doer of God's word. I really want God to be glorified. But, I also want people to read what I'm writing and say nice things about it. I love to get comments from readers at the end of these posts, and I'm always a little crestfallen when a post doesn't get any. I want to be affirmed and appreciated. I want people to think that I'm smart, and a good writer, and full of Godly wisdom. That's the truth. And so, like I said, here I am, with mixed motives but praying that God would keep my heart right. [To be clear, I'm not begging for comments. I'm not even going to allow comments to this particular post.]

This is the first command in a series of commands related to our speech. God cares a lot about the honesty of our speech.

• Proverbs 6:16-17, "There are six things which the Lord hates, seven which are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and a man who sows discord among brothers."
• Proverbs 12:22, "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord."
• Proverbs 12:19, "Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment."
• Revelation 21:7-8, "He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

Seven things are an abomination to the Lord. Two of them are lying. Get the point? I'm not a habitual liar, but I can't say that I never lie. Just this evening, I gave the boys chocolate donut holes for dessert, and I told them that they were bear scat. Let me explain that one. We recently watched an episode of Man vs. Wild, where the host, Bear Grylls, eats half digested unidentified something that he picks out of bear scat. So, I thought the bear scat routine was pretty funny. The boys were actually not amused, and I had to 'fess up. Once, when the boys wouldn't stay in bed at night, I told them that I was going to release poisonous snakes in their room if they didn't stay in bed. I got that one from Bill Cosby. The boys were so terrified about the possibility of poisonous snakes in the house that I had to very quickly confess to them that I was only joking. Maybe I'm not the world's greatest dad. When it comes to lying, I'm no angel.

More commonly, however, falsehood in my life is not about lying but about what I choose to keep to myself. I tend to hide what I'm struggling with. I'm afraid of being embarrassed and losing esteem in the eyes of others. I want the praise and the approval of others. I hate to admit when I'm weak and I'm struggling. I want people to think that I've got it all together. I don't want people to know that I struggle with pride, insecurity and anger.

So, starting last week, I'm trying to be more candid about my flaws and sins. I'm especially trying to be more open and transparent with my Christian brothers and sisters, because I know that's the path to receiving more of God's forgiveness, mercy and healing. It's no accident that, in Ephesians 4:25, Paul specifically admonishes the members of the Ephesian church to speak truthfully to their neighbors as "members of one body." Back in Week Six, I made a big confession of past sins to my pastor. It was frightening but also liberating and empowering. I'm so glad that I did it. I can see now, however, that it's more important to live a lifestyle of transparency and confession than to make one single big confession.

It Is Well With My Soul

Here is another one of those posts not directly related to The James 1:22 Project.

I recently heard, for the first time, the story behind the hymn "It is Well with My Soul." It was written by Horatio Spafford, a Chicago attorney. In 1871, the great Chicago fire swept through the city, and Spafford, who was heavily invested in Chicago real estate, was financially ruined. In 1873, Spafford had planned to travel to Europe with his family. Detained on business, Spafford sent his wife and four daughters ahead on the SS Ville Du Havre. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank after colliding with another ship. All four of Spafford's daughters died. Spafford's wife, Anna, sent him a telegram: "Saved alone." As Spafford himself travelled to meet his wife and his own ship passed near where his daughters had died, Spafford went below deck and wrote the words to the hymn.

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to know,
It is well, it is well, with my soul

Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It’s an amazing example that in his moment of greatest pain, Spafford found comfort in the cross. When we can’t understand how any good could possibly come from the evil and pain that we endure in our lives, we also should look to the cross. It is the best picture of how God can use profound evil and pain to bring about beauty and joy. John Piper says, “[In the cross] is where the worst that God ever ordained and the best that God ever ordained meet and become one.” In our own lives, I think we sometimes also see that the worst that God ordains for us and the best that God ordains for us meet and become one. From our pain, he brings joy. “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!” Psalm 126:5. At the cross, we see that our God has not subjected us to anything that He is not willing to suffer himself. Rather, when we look at the cross we see our God willing to bear ultimate pain—pain which we deserve but that He bears in our place.

Week 22: Remember Your Leaders

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

I've been thinking about our two City Lights pastors, Ben and Eric. I find them inspiring for two reasons: because they are just men, flawed like me, and because they've done something great to advance God's kingdom (unlike me). One thing I love about Ben and Eric is that they don't pretend to be something they're not. As they teach and lead the church, they share their flaws and their struggles in a way that's healthy, winsome and encouraging. On the other hand, they've done this amazing thing.

In May 2003, they and a very small team of dedicated people left comfortable homes and lives in southern Illinois to come to St. Louis and plant City Lights. Nurturing and growing a little fragile baby church hasn't been easy. Church planting is difficult work, especially in the city. For City Lights, it has sometimes felt like two steps forward and one step back. Ben and Eric have experienced set backs and pain along the journey. Through it all, they've been a steadfast example of faith and joy to the church. When attendance and then giving declined a few years ago, Ben and Eric took full time jobs outside the church so that City Lights could keep going. As a result of their obedience, lives in St. Louis have been changed for the better and souls have been saved. Their example of faithful, sacrificial, joyful obedience to God makes me want to not only be a doer of God's word but inspires me to want to live and die serving and honoring God.

The main point of Hebrews 13:7 is that we should think about the example of our leaders and imitate them. I think, however, there is a bit more involved in "remembering." As we go about living out all of those "one another" commands---serving, encouraging, praying for and offering hospitality to one another---we ought to keep in mind our leaders. We ought to remember that they are just men and women who may need our service, encouragement, friendship and prayers. Although they are working for God's sake and not the praise of men, we can be a means by which God conveys His pleasure and encouragement to them. We should show and tell our leaders that they are appreciated. I've tried to do a bit of that in the last week. It was long overdue. Of course, we should always remember to obey our leaders and submit to their authority, as the writer of Hebrews admonishes us to do a few verses after this week's command. Hebrews 13:17. No amount of encouraging words will mean anything to our leaders, if we conspire behind their backs to undermine them.

My wife and I lead a small group at City Lights. This last week, our small group members showed me a great picture of what it looks like to remember leaders. At our regular Thursday group meeting, the entire small group prayed for us. On Friday evening, a couple guys from group came to our house and helped move furniture around in preparation for the imminent arrival of our baby girl. Meanwhile, some of the ladies from small group attended a small baby shower for Christina and blessed us with some wonderful gifts. Thanks so much, dear friends! I was moved and encouraged that our group remembered us in such wonderful ways this week.

This week, I'm starting a new phase of The James 1:22 Project, as I take on the first of a series of commands related to controlling our speech. More on that in about one week. Until then, grace and peace to you.

Week 21: Work With Your Hands

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands." ~ 1 Thess. 4:11

I hope "working with your hands" includes typing, because most weeks that's the only work that I do with my hands. In response to the command to "work with your hands," I've been putting down a new floor in our kitchen. Christina has wanted a new kitchen floor for years, so a little physical labor along those lines seemed like an appropriate and practical response. I'm still working on the floor (and my back has gone out pulling and scraping up the old vinyl), but Christina tells me she's happy with the results so far. Here is a picture, below, of the half finished floor. The old white vinyl is on the bottom of the picture, and the new faux stone vinyl tile is above.

I've always enjoyed physical labor and find it much more soul-satisfying than my desk job. I think there's more to this command, however, than remodeling my kitchen floor.

Many of us, when we're growing up, dream about being successful, famous and/or rich. We want to be a star athlete. A famous actor, musician or artist. Or, maybe the President of the United States. We have dreams of changing the world. We hope to travel to exotic places. We want exciting lives full of adventure. We want to own sports cars, maybe even convertibles.

For most of us, reality turns out to be very different. We find ourselves growing older and toiling away at obscure jobs. There's no standing ovation when we do well at work. We're very far from being rich and famous. At home, daily life is full of mundane chores: laundry, dishes, running errands, and mowing the lawn. And, instead of driving sports cars, we're driving used mini-vans. As we grow up, and this reality sets in, I think there's a tendency to become disappointed with our lives. That disappointment, if allowed to linger, can turn to bitterness. It turns to bitterness that shows up when we get disproportionately upset about trivial things. We explode at our spouse or our kids, and, if we're honest, we know it has nothing to do with them or anything they said or did. I confess that I've been there, and I've done that.

Here is what God has to say to us when our reality doesn't equal our dreams. He says that we're leading just the sort of lives that we should have aspired to. "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life . . ." Isn't that an interesting command? We should have ambition, not to become rich or famous, but to lead simple humble lives. Accordingly, God commands us to work diligently at our jobs, not for the acclaim of men, but for the Lord's sake. We're supposed to invest our time and energy, not in pursuing status or wealth, but in caring for our elderly, serving our spouses and training our children to follow God. We're to cultivate relationships, not by rubbing elbows with people of influence who can further our careers, but by humbly and quietly serving the people of our local churches and the poor and needy in our communities.

If we will make it our ambition to lead such quiet, humble lives, we will be blessed. God lifts up the humble. James 4:10. The humble will be exalted. Luke 14:11. He gives grace to the humble. James 4:6. Whoever humbles himself like a child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:4.

Our God is in Control

This is one of those mid-week posts that really has nothing to do with The James 1:22 Project.

Christina (my wife) and I were listening to Steven Curtis Chapman's latest CD, Beauty Will Rise, yesterday. Chapman's five-year old daughter, Maria, was killed in an accident in 2008. She was accidentally hit by an SUV driven by her older brother. I can't imagine the anguish the Chapman family went through. Beauty Will Rise is the CD that came out of the ashes. I was thinking of the Chapman family as we listened to the CD yesterday, and I was greatly moved and encouraged by one song in particular---Our God is in Control. I wanted to share some of the lyrics.

This is not how it should be
This is not how it could be
This is how it is
And our God is in control

This is not how it will be
When we will finally see
We'll see with our own eyes
He was always in control

And we’ll sing
Holy Holy Holy is our God
And we will finally really understand what it means
So we’ll sing
Holy Holy Holy is our God

While we’re waiting for that day
This is not where we planned to be
When we started this journey
This is where we are
And Our God is in control

Though this first taste is bitter
There will be sweetness forever
When we finally taste and see
That Our God is in control

God is mysterious and sometimes His ways are incomprehensible. When tragedy occurs, it's so tempting for us to say that it's the random result of living in a fallen and sinful world. We want to excuse God from responsibility for our pain and loss. There is little comfort or hope, however, in believing that our lives are a series of random events and that our God is a casual bystander. The only hope we have in tragedy is the hope that Steven Curtis Chapman found. It comes from faith that our God is always in control. The universe belongs to Him, and He is working out his purpose in everything and everyone. Ephesians 1:11. There is a plan and purpose for everything in our lives. He uses everything to make us more like Jesus. Romans 8:28-32. Though the first taste of loss may be bitter, "there will be sweetness forever."

Week 20: Love Your Neighbor

"The entire law is summed up in a single command. Love your neighbor as yourself." ~ Gal. 5:14


It's the halfway point of The James 1:22 Project, with twenty weeks down and twenty weeks to go. Let's get to last week's command---loving your neighbor.

Blessed Are the Merciful

I've been thinking a lot about the parable of the good Samaritan---Luke 10:25-37. A lawyer asks Jesus how a person should act who wants to find mercy at the judgment day. Jesus says that those who receive mercy will be those who loved God with everything and loved their neighbors as themselves. The lawyer asks, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus answers with the story of the good Samaritan. A man lies in a ditch, having been beaten and robbed. A priest and a Levite see the man but pass by without helping. They are religious men, but their religion is empty. They're all about ceremony at the temple, but they won't interrupt their lives to help somebody in need. The Samaritan, on the other hand, comes from a misguided religious tradition. His doctrine isn't sound. But, his heart is right. His faith is real. He has a heart of compassion, and he acts on it. The Samaritan is the one who is merciful, and he is the one who will receive mercy. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Matthew 5:7.

It's important to understand that this isn't salvation by works. We don't earn mercy by being merciful. Mercy is evidence of our faith and trust in God. Mercy is evidence of God working in our lives. Those who put their faith and trust in God will be merciful and will receive mercy.

Crossing the Lawn

I thought about making some grand gesture in response to this command. Logan, my seven-year old, suggested that we should invite everybody in the neighborhood to our house for my world famous grilled cheeseburgers. I seriously considered it. I think, however, that God's not calling me to a single big act, but rather calling me to a life that chooses relationships over my agenda and over my comfort.

If I would see my neighbor laying in a ditch beaten and bloodied, I'm sure that I would help him. My problem is that my neighbor might be laying in a ditch, and I wouldn't notice. I'm task oriented. I tend to go through life with my head down, thinking about the next item on my mental to-do list. God is convicting me that I need to slow down and look around. I need to cross the yard to my neighbor and start a conversation. Whatever my next project is, it can wait a few minutes. Maybe he's not in a ditch physically, but is in an emotional or spiritual ditch. How will I know, if I'm too busy to talk to him?

The other thing that often prevents me from observing this command is that I love my own comfort too much. For example, if somebody invites us over for dinner on a Sunday evening, my first instinct is to make excuses why I can't go. "It's been a hard week at work (or, it's going to be), and I need a quiet evening at home." "If we're out late tonight, then the boys will be tired and crabby tomorrow." "The game's on, and I haven't seen a ballgame since last week." "It's such a long drive to their house." Sometimes, by God's grace, I overcome those objections. I need to overcome them more often and more consistently choose relationships over my comfort.

Just a Beginning

This last week was about doing a few simple things. God gave me a few opportunities to choose relationship over agenda and comfort and then the Spirit nudged me the right direction. I did cross my lawn a couple times to start conversations with a neighbor. A Sunday evening dinner invitation came along at the last minute. I would usually find a way to get out of it, but I felt the Spirit nudge me to go for it. I also have some very dear friends with a daughter in the hospital, and I was blessed to visit them this week and be encouraged by their faithfulness. It is a Christian truism that if God commands us to do something, He will give us what we need to obey. I've always thought of that as having do with resources; God will give us the resources to obey Him. I think that's true. I'm realizing, however, that almost always when God commands something in His word He will also put before us opportunities to obey Him.

Answering the Call to a Life of Love, Mercy and Compassion

Choosing relationship over agenda and comfort is just a beginning. There is much more to this command. God is calling us to a life of love, mercy and compassion. Once again, I am convicted that I can't fulfill God's commands on my own but only by God's grace and mercy. I love the way John Piper answers the question, "How do we become a merciful people?"

"The mercy that God blesses is itself the blessing of God. It grows up like fruit in a broken heart and meek spirit and soul that hungers and thirsts for God to be merciful. Mercy comes from mercy. Our mercy for each other comes from God's mercy to us.

The key to becoming a merciful person is to become a broken person. You get the power to show mercy from the real feeling in your heart that you owe everything you are and have to sheer divine mercy. Therefore, if we want to become merciful people, it is imperative that we cultivate a view of God and ourselves that helps us to say with all our heart that every joy and virtue and distress of our lives is owing to the free and undeserved mercy of God."

I pray that God's mercy, His Word, and His Spirit would create in me a merciful heart.

Father is the Christian Name for God

I came across this quote from J.I. Packer last week. It's from his wonderful book Knowing God. It isn't directly related to The James 1:22 Project, but I find it so smart and wise and helpful that I wanted to share it.

“You sum up the whole of New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one’s holy Father. If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all.

For everything that Christ taught, everything that makes the New Testament new, and better than the Old, everything that is distinctively Christian as opposed to merely Jewish, is summed up in the knowledge of the Fatherhood of God. ‘Father’ is the Christian name for God. Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption.”

J.I. Packer

Also, if you receive these posts by e-mail and haven't checked out the web site recently, then maybe you've missed some additions and updates to The James 1:22 Project site. There are several new links on the sidebar and new ways to explore the site and to connect to some of my friends and favorite links.

Week 19: Offer a Sacrifice of Praise

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise---the fruit of lips that confess his name." Hebrews 13:15

I was in Alaska last week for work. I had reserved the "praise" command to coincide with the trip. I imagined myself surrounded by snow-capped mountains and waterfalls, being inspired by the glory of the creation to praise the Creator. I was set to leave St. Louis early on Monday and was due to be in Alaska by early evening surrounded by scenic wonders and praising my heart out.

Things didn't go as planned. My scheduled flight was cancelled. I didn't arrive in Alaska until almost midnight, and the flight the airline gave me turned out to be a nightmare. The first leg was St. Louis to Detroit, scheduled to depart at 3:30 pm. We boarded on time but sat on the runway until almost 5 pm so that we arrived late in Detroit forcing me to sprint to make my connection. Then we sat on the runway in Detroit for over an hour before taking off. On the flight from Detroit to Anchorage, I was seated directly in front of a couple with a sick and constantly barking dog that pooped on itself about one-hour into the six-hour flight. Who brings a sick dog on an airplane? The smell caused somebody nearby to get sick and throw-up. For the next five hours, my plane-mates and I were subjected to a barking dog and the re-circulated odor of dog poop and throw-up. I had started the day with a pinched nerve in my neck, and it felt more and more painful as the day went on.

About three hours into the Detroit to Anchorage leg, God reminded me that my assignment for the week was to "continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise." I prayed one of those really transcendent spiritual prayers. Something like: "Really, God? My neck is killing me. I'm tired and uncomfortable. I'd like nothing more than to open the emergency hatch and kick that dog off the plane, and I'm supposed to offer you praise right now? What is this---cosmic candid camera?" And, then, I started really thinking about my assignment.

The command to praise "continually" comes from the Book of Hebrews. Hebrews was written to a people that had suffered. They had been insulted and persecuted. They had been robbed of their possessions. Hebrews 10:32-39. And still, they had endured and kept confidence in God. God commanded these people to continually offer to Him a sacrifice of praise. God doesn't want praise that is conditioned on our comfort or circumstances. God is always a good Father, and He's always good to us. He's there in the midst of hardship, using it to discipline and mature us. Just one chapter before giving the command to praise continually, the author of Hebrews says: "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his Father? . . . God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness." Hebrews 12:7, 10.

God is the same good Father whether we are comfortably driving down a beautiful scenic mountain road listening to worship music (like I was on Tuesday morning) or stuffed into a too small airplane seat for six hours with a stiff neck and a stinkin' dog in the next seat. In the midst of that awful flight, God reminded me that He was still sovereign and in control of my circumstances. It's not that we're supposed to praise God despite difficult circumstances. We don't go through life with blinders on trying to ignore the hardships. In a misguided effort to give God a pass on the difficulties that we face, we should never suppose that God is passive and uninvolved in every aspect of our lives. Rather, we're supposed to praise Him in the midst of difficult circumstances, understanding that God is still in control and that He is using all things for our good to make us more like Jesus. Romans 8:28-29. When I was on that flight, God wasn't just sitting back passively watching me suffer. He was there, using a bit of minor short-lived hardship to teach me and to impress upon my heart something profound. That is worth praising God about, and I do thank Him and praise Him for an important lesson so easily learned.

I did finally make it to Alaska. I had a very nice day sight seeing on Tuesday, and the trip home went very smoothly. Thank God! Here are a few pictures from the trip.

***

The morning after "the flight," I had breakfast at the Snow City cafe. The omelet was truly praiseworthy!






Anchorage is surrounded by ocean and mountains, so it doesn't take much driving to see some spectacular scenery. My sight-seeing day was overcast, but Alaska was still amazing. I don't have the talent or the camera to capture the beauty of it, but here are some pictures of those snowy mountains.





Here is a ferocious bear. He lives at the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center.









Dasher and dancer.

James 1:22 Project Bye Week

Even NFL teams get a week off during the season, and their season is only 17 weeks. I'm slammed at work this week, suffering from a pinched nerve in my neck and between business trips (South Carolina last week and Alaska next). I don't have the time or mental capacity to sit at the computer and blog this week. The project will continue next week. That's a promise. For now, here are some pictures.


Here is Baby Girl Wyatt as of June 1, 2010. Only about FIVE weeks until we meet her. We've narrowed the search for a name to two possibilities---Julia Leigh or Cora Leigh. Neither was in the original baby name poll, so I'm putting up a new poll today. It's a toss up for us. This poll could be the deciding factor, so don't forget to vote! Just scroll down the right side of the blog to find the poll.





Below is Herbie the Wonderdog. He's been with us for about two months now and is already part of the family. Ain't he cute?

Week 18: Think About Such Things

"Whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." ~ Phil. 4:8

Over the last eighteen weeks, I've realized something rather shocking about the New Testament---shocking to me, at least. The New Testament commands are no less demanding than the law of the Old Testament.

By the time Paul was writing his New Testament epistles, the Jews had summed up all of the Old Testament law into 613 commands. On top of that, the rabbis added their own regulations. It was impossible to keep all of the law and attempting to do so was a burdensome way of life. It's a mistake, though, to think that God requires less of us through the New Testament.

God still commands every part of our lives. He commands our feelings, thoughts, speech and actions. He commands how we relate to Him, to our families, to our Christian brothers and sisters, and to the world. He has a plan and purpose for every moment of our days. For a Christian, there is strictly speaking no free time. There is time to rest and time to play, but only because God has appointed such times.

Our failure to live up to God's standard is inevitable. We can't achieve righteousness through commandment keeping. So, what is the purpose of God's commands? To convict us. Paul said, "I would not have known what sin was except through the law." Romans 7:7. That's no mere abstract theological point. It's concrete and personal. God commands you and I because He loves us and His commands are good for us, but He also commands us in order to convict us of our sinfulness.

I've never felt God's conviction so acutely as in the last eighteen weeks. I don't think we fully feel God's conviction about our sinfulness until we get serious about His commands. We don't completely appreciate our inadequacy and inability to live up to God's standard until we've diligently tried to do so. It's not our obedience that draws us closer to God. All of our efforts can't get us one bit closer to God---only by God's grace can we approach Him with confidence. It's our failure that brings us to a place of Christ dependent faith, which is the channel through which God's grace flows to us. Ultimately, it's God's grace that brings us closer to Him.

I don't mean to suggest that God is setting us up for failure or that the only purpose for God's commands is to cause us to fail. When we sometimes succeed in clumsily, reluctantly, imperfectly obeying God, we find that God, also by His grace, rewards us. God doesn't guarantee that obedience will produce an easy life. No doubt, however, it is better to obey.

What I'm getting around to saying is that God truly succeeded at using my failure this last week to convict me of my total dependence on Jesus. For week eighteen of The James 1:22 Project, I was supposed to think about certain things---things that are right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. God cares what we think about. He has, of course, every right to command our thoughts, and many of His commands involve our thoughts. He doesn't want our minds cluttered with sinful thoughts, and thus He commands us to fill our minds with good things.


For the most part, I failed miserably at this one. My brain was as cluttered as usual with unholy thoughts---thoughts of worry, dissatisfaction, anger, and lust. I take away two small insights about this command.

• First, it's a positive commandment. Sometimes, God tells us what not to think about, but here we're commanded to think about certain things. I find that very helpful. Have you ever tried to not think about something? Right now, try hard not to think about a pink elephant! It's far easier to clean your mind up by filling it with something good, than by merely attempting to flush out bad thoughts.

• Second, the command is not limited to spiritual things or holy things. We're commanded to think about whatever is good or admirable or excellent, and so on and so forth. So, I think we can fulfill the command by prayer or meditation on scripture, but also by taking a walk, or watching a favorite wholesome movie, or listening to a favorite song, or reading a good book. The one thing that I found very helpful this week was reading two of my favorite novels---Airman by Eoin Colfer and Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert Heinlein. There's nothing spiritual or holy about either book, but they're good, clean, fun books that I really enjoyed reading. I find that reading any book that I enjoy (whether or not it has any spiritual content) puts my mind into a state that is more receptive to God and less receptive to the enemy.

Week 17: Let the Word Dwell in You

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." ~ Col. 3:16

Dwell means to live in. The Word, therefore, is not merely to be stored away in us. It should be alive in us. It shouldn't just pass through our heads on Sunday morning. It should have a permanent home in us. It should dwell there, richly, abundantly, plentifully.

We can experience the Bible by reading it, listening to it, meditating on it, and hearing it preached. If we want the Word to "dwell" in us, however, we need to commit it to memory. I've never been consistent about memorizing Bible verses. No doubt I'm worse off for it, because the Bible tells us plainly that Bible memorization is a beneficial practice.

Memorizing God's Word helps us overcome sin and Satan. "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. . . . I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:9, 11. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he recited passages from Deuteronomy and thus overcame Satan. Matt. 4:1-11. Having scripture memorized also allows us to more effectively comfort and encourage people. "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver." Proverbs 25:11. That's a real purty way of saying that the right word at the right time can be nourishing and precious. A word of scripture spoken from the heart at the right moment can be much more powerful than our own words. Here are some other endorsements of the practice of Bible memorization:

Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs.

~ Dallas Willard, Christian author and teacher

I know of no other single practice in Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture. . . . No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified.

~ Charles Swindoll, Christian author and pastor

Where to begin? Romans 8 is one of my favorite Bible passages. It also just happens to be pretty much universally recognized as the greatest chapter in the greatest letter in Bible. Martin Luther said this about the Book of Romans:

This letter is truly the most important piece of the New Testament. It is purest Gospel. It is well worth a Christian's while not only to memorize it word for word but also to occupy himself with it daily, as though it were the daily bread of the soul. It is impossible to read or to meditate on this letter too much or too well. The more one deals with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes.

I'm not going to memorize Romans 8 in one week. I am, however, going to start. I'm aiming for one verse per day, and I'm asking God for discipline to see it through to the last verse of the chapter.