What's the Difference?

This morning began like most mornings.  Before getting out of bed I expressed thanks to my Lord for the day.  I do not know what will happen but the fact that I woke up is a gift and it means the day has something which God has for me.  So, I prayed, "Thy will be done".  That is how Jesus taught me to pray in Matthew 6:10.  Then I had my morning exercise.  If I wake up face down I do a push up to get out of bed.  If I wake up on my back I do a sit up to get out of bed.  Now that the morning exercise routine is complete we will see what the day holds and what God's plan for the day may be.

My car would not crank.  OK, God, how does this fit into your will for my life today?  When things don't go as planned God seems to have a cute way of reminding me of another verse.  I Thessalonians 5:18 tells me to, "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus".  Well, I am thankful my truck cranked and I have jumper cables to crank my car.  I am thankful I have time and money to get a new battery this morning.  Living a life of thanksgiving in all circumstances following God's will is really the best way to live (remember this sentence).  Just keep reading for the "rest of the story".

The young man (it seems that most of them are young to me now...go figure) who was replacing my battery and I began chatting.  When he asked, "What do you do?", the conversation became more serious and God's direction for me this day started to become more clear.  This young man needed some spiritual guidance in his life so my dead battery led to a divine appointment. 

"How do you know the difference between love and lust?"  Although he was not yet thirty years old, poor relationship decisions had led disastrous results.   He wanted a family and lifetime companion that would bring happiness, joy and meaning to his live.  I told him how my wife and I had experienced this for the 34 years of our marriage, and expected it to carry us for the remainder of our days.  He was seeking what most are seeking.  So, here lies the lesson. 

The New Testament was written in Greek.  Our English language has one word to express the many feelings and emotions we call  love.  "I love ice cream, sunny days, the Bulldogs (insert your favorite sports team, I graduated from Miss. State), sleeping late and I love my wife."  Hopefully, one has different levels of feeling and emotion over those and other items we claim to love.  The Greek language has several words expressing those feelings and emotions.  The Bible focuses on three to teach us how we should love one another and how God loves us. 

EROS is the word that describes the physical attraction that garners powerful feelings.  We get our word 'erotic' from Eros.  Physical attraction is usually the way we begin romantic relationships.  "Wow, she/he looks great!"  "I want to spend time with him/her."  These are the common thoughts that lead couples however, relationships solely on Eros stumble when the attraction fades or another attraction develops.

The second Greek word used in the Bible is PHILIA which is best understood as brotherly love.  The city of Philadelphia is known as the 'City of Brotherly Love'.  Philia love is the deep love of best friends who just love hanging out and being together. 

Finally, there is AGAPE.  This is the love God has for us.  Agape is not a feeling or emotion that is conditional upon looks, behavior or comes and goes.  Agape is a decision of the will to be committed no matter what!  I told the young man that years ago I told my wife, "If anyone quits on this deal it won't be me!"  That may not have seemed romantic to her at the time but that type of commitment is the foundation of lasting love. 

The secret is to combine all three.  When you have someone who is attractive to you and is your best friend to whom you have made a decision and commitment to love for the rest of your days, then you will know the difference between 'love and lust'.  Then you will know the joy of God's plan for your marriage and life.  Then you will also know His love for you.  He responded saying, "Wow that makes sense and puts it all together." 

My car cranked up with the new battery.  He seemed to have a clearer pathway for his future.  OK, Lord what's next?  Living a life of thanksgiving in all circumstances following God's will is really the best way to live!

What I Would Tell Me

I recently was part of a mission team comprised of 15 pastors from 4 different states ranging in age from late 20’s to early 60’s.  I was the one at the end of the early 60’s curve.  I share that to make a point later.  We served churches that differed in denomination, worship style and size.  So we were not only exposed to the different culture of the country we visited, we had a chance to get acquainted with different cultures within our own mix of various generations, worship and church experiences.   I found it interesting how I, as the oldest in the group, loved being ‘unplugged’ for much of the journey.  I still  view the internet and social media primarily as an interruption in my life and hope it is a fad that will pass in time. 

I enjoyed watching some of those ‘whipper-snappers’ desperately seeking any and every opportunity to gain a Wi-Fi signal.  One of the young guys, who constantly seemed to have phone in hand seeking social media connection, kept calling the team leader and lead translator by the wrong names.  It is funny how younger folks often don’t connect well in conversation forgetting names of those sitting across the table, because they have been so distracted by social media and how us older guys who avoid social media in favor of personal converse with those across the table still get the names wrong because we just are too old to remember.  I guess some of these things just balance themselves in the natural order of life. 

One of the young guys did ask what I thought was an interesting question; “If you, at your current age, could go back to give advice to yourself at age 35 what would you say?”  Wow, that got me thinking of all the things I have experienced and learned since I was thirty-five.  Would I have some great advice for that guy?  Then I was reminded of a poster I have in my office concerning advice; “Wise men don’t need it! Fools won’t heed it!”  I began to realize that my 35 year old self would probably tell this 61 year old me, in a respectful manner (because we both had mothers who taught us manners); “Thanks for your advice but that was your generation’s point of view.  We are going to be different!” 

Sadly, many our early thirties think that way.  However, as we get to our early sixties many of us realize that Solomon was right when he wisely wrote, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” While we may have new gadgets and toys than the previous generation we still essentially repeat many of the same mistakes.  We still seem to be people who learn slowly and often by our own mistakes…if we learn.  

So what would I say to my 35 year old self?  I would not bore him with my experiences or advice.  I would point him to another whose advice, as a man in his early thirties, still carry life-changing meaning and eternal truth.  I would tell him to listen more closely and follow the advice of Jesus more completely.  In word and deed Jesus advised us to do as he did by living each day doing what God placed him on this planet to do.  This is the way to a fulfilled life with no regrets.  In fact he told us that his coming was to give us a full and abundant life (John 10:10).  He counsels us to place our desires, feelings and personal agenda aside to be a servant.  He directs us to walk away from a lifestyle of submission to selfish appetites, destructive thoughts and action to a life of purity, harmony and love with God and fellowman. 

By age 35 I had already read the entire Bible and would recommend continual study and reading. But, I would tell my 35 year old self to pay closer attention and follow the teachings and lifestyle of that man also in his early thirties.  All the necessary teachings and actions of Jesus can be found in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  One can easily learn and follow those teachings by daily reading, meditating and applying what is revealed and learned every day.  Even my 35 year old self, who struggled with math, could calculate that there are 89 total chapters in those four books so reading only three chapters a day would allow one to read all four gospels in a month.  The slow reading pace of my 35 year old self could read 3 chapters in less than 30 minutes.  Missing 30 minutes of a TV show will never rival what you gain by reading and internalizing the teachings of Jesus for half an hour a day.  After all, I would say to my 35 year old self, those same Andy Griffith shows will still be running when you are my age! 

I would also tell my 35 year old self that his memory will not be as sharp as he gets older so it would be a good practice to read and re-read these truths so they become ingrained as a lifestyle.  A regular practice of this pattern of reading would allow one to read them 12 times in a year.  By the time he is my age he will have read the gospels over 300 times.  Wow, how that could change a life! 

Well, we may not be able to go back and give ourselves good advice or counsel but it is not too late to follow the counsel of the one who still gives us eternal guidance.  Let’s see what he has to say for today; hmmm, Matthew chapters one through three says…

So God Made a Pastor

Recently a Super Bowl commercial received rave reviews showing wonderful pictures while to a recording of Paul Harvey reciting a poem honoring farmers.  I was very moved by the poem and the reading by Paul Harvey.  My grandfather was a farmer.  I will always have special memories of my time as a child helping with the chores (as least he let me think I was helping).  That work ethic still guides me today as a minister.  The poem stayed with me and I penned the following as a way to honor my peers who work long and hard following God’s call as a pastor.  So with apologies to Mr. Harvey;

And Jesus founded his church on the recognition and confession of him as the Messiah and savior of all who place faith in him.  He sacrificed himself on the cross taking on man’s rightful punishment for sin.  He rose from the grave conquering death, sin and the grave and ascended to Heaven interceding on our behalf to this day.  Looking from Heaven he saw the struggles of his church and said, "I need a caretaker!” So, God made a pastor!

God said I need somebody to get up before dawn and pray for my church and work all day studying, preparing sermons and stay late visiting people in their homes, hospitals and community, eat supper and then go to meetings and other visits whenever needed to give guidance and comfort. So, God made a pastor!

God said I need somebody with strength. Strong enough to let people lean on him when their lives are falling apart, yet gentle enough to hold and bless a newborn baby and celebrate life with first time parents. Somebody sturdy enough to boldly speak up when sitting quietly may be more popular, able to face cantankerous troublemakers with steadfastness and then forgive their misdeeds, gossip or slander, able to skip a meal and wear a worn out suit and give his food to a needy person or clothe a poor person and tell them he’s ok and glad to do it because they need it more than him...and mean it. So, God made a pastor!

God said "I need somebody that can answer questions that confound the wise, give hope to those who seem to have lost everything, bring peace to unimaginable conflict, restore faith in those who have given up. And...who, at Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and other special holiday times and seasons, will finish his forty hour week by Wednesday noon. Then, worn out from mental, physical and emotional fatigue, put in another seventy two hours. So, God made a pastor!

God had to have somebody willing to cancel his own day off or personal respite when there was a death, sickness or spiritual need yet stop everything to make certain he did not neglect his family when others called on him so regularly. So, God made a pastor!

God said, "I need someone old enough to have experience and maturity, wise as Solomon and yet young enough to have energy to play softball with the teenagers and chase with the children and jump rope with the girls...and who will stop everything for an hour to help a widow change her tire. So, God made a pastor!

It had to be somebody who'd do the right thing...even when no one was watching. Somebody to study late, study early, pray long and hard...and do without so others could have more. Somebody to look after those who were alone and then finish a hard days work with one more visit. Somebody who'd keep his family together with the soft strong bonds of sharing God’s grace, patience and love, who'd laugh and then sigh and hang in there when most would want to give up...and then respond with smiling eyes, when his Heavenly Father says “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share my happiness!'". So, God made a pastor!