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Courageous Loyalty to Jesus

Do you remember the story of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” by Hans Christian Andersen? Although it is my paraphrase, the story reads as follows:

An emperor became obsessed with fine clothing. Two swindlers arrived and claimed they could make a magnificent suit of clothes that was invisible to anyone who was foolish or unfit for their position. No one wanted to appear foolish. So, the emperor’s advisors pretended to see the clothes. The emperor pretended to see the clothes. The townspeople pretended to see the clothes. Everyone knew something was wrong, but no one had the courage to say it.

Finally, during a grand parade, a small child looked at the emperor and shouted: “But he doesn’t have any clothes on!” The crowd fell silent.

Then one person began to whisper it. Then another. Soon everyone acknowledged what they had known all along. The child had simply spoken the truth.

The child in Andersen’s story had no power, no authority, and no status. What he had was the courage to speak the truth when everyone else remained silent.

The child in Andersen’s story had no power, no authority, and no status. What he had was the courage to speak the truth when everyone else remained silent.

That story illustrates an important aspect of Matthew’s understanding of holiness, ““What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.” (Matthew 10:27). Read Matthew’s story.

Read Matthew 10:24-33

24 “Disciples aren’t greater than their teacher, and slaves aren’t greater than their master. 25 It’s enough for disciples to be like their teacher and slaves like their master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, it’s certain that they will call the members of his household by even worse names.

26 “Therefore, don’t be afraid of those people because nothing is hidden that won’t be revealed, and nothing secret that won’t be brought out into the open. 27 What I say to you in the darkness, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, announce from the rooftops. 28 Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell. 29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a small coin? But not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father knowing about it already. 30 Even the hairs of your head are all counted. 31 Don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.

32 “Therefore, everyone who acknowledges me before people, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me before people, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Reflect on Matthew 10

God sent Jesus to teach us how to live before God, how to live a holy and righteous life. Matthew is preparing his people to understand that following Jesus can bring rejection, division, and sacrifice.

Through Jesus telling his disciples what it is to be holy, Matthew reminds his community that following Jesus calls for a determination to live the truth, to tell the truth, and to remain loyal to Jesus. Jesus’ words remind us that we are not called to be loud for the sake of being loud, but neither are we called to hide the truth. We are called to speak faithfully, trusting God with the consequences.

Martin Luther King once said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Jesus says, “Therefore, everyone who acknowledges me before people, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me before people, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” These words do not deal with the initial confession of faith as in conversion. The words are for those who already profess faith but are fearful of bearing public witness to the church’s mission. 

As followers of Jesus, our profession of faith is in relationship with Jesus’ message. Holiness is not only bearing witness to what Jesus said but is bearing witness to who Jesus is. It is not enough to know who Jesus is. Holiness requires being in relationship with Jesus and living the life you were created to live. 

Respond to Matthew 10

The temptation is often to remain silent especially when speaking up might cost us popularity, when others disagree, when the truth is uncomfortable, when we fear criticism or rejection.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to a courageous faithfulness which sometimes means speaking for justice when others look away, defending someone who is being mistreated, naming wrongdoing when it would be easier to ignore it, or simply acknowledging our faith when silence would be more comfortable.

Rosa Parks’ Courageous Action

On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, an ordinary seamstress named Rosa Parks boarded a city bus after a long day of work. At that time, segregation laws required black Americans to give up their seats to white passengers when the bus became crowded. When the driver ordered Parks to surrender her seat, she quietly said, “No.”

She was not loud. She was not angry. She did not make a speech. She simply refused to remain silent through her actions.

The driver called the police. Parks was arrested and taken to jail.

From one perspective, her decision changed nothing. One woman was arrested. One seat remained occupied for a few extra minutes. But her courage ignited something much larger. Her arrest helped launch the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and a young pastor named Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as one of its leaders.

Years later, people would remember not just the speeches or marches, but the simple moment when an ordinary woman decided that silence was no longer an option.

Martin Luther King said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Most people on that bus knew the system was wrong. Most remained silent because speaking up carried a cost. Rosa Parks understood that silence can preserve comfort, but it rarely changes injustice.

In an impactful way, she was a prophet. We know that the prophets spoke when the kings preferred silence. We know that the apostles spoke when authorities demanded silence.  Matthew is teaching us that holiness is found in Jesus telling his disciples not to hide the truth but to proclaim it faithfully.

To live our lives before God as holy and righteous people, there are moments when faithfulness requires a voice. Sometimes courage looks like standing before a crowd. Sometimes courage looks like remaining seated on a bus. In either case, as a follower of Jesus some things matter too much to remain silent.

From Matthew’s perspective, holiness is seen in courageous loyalty to Jesus.

Return

Give thanks for the people you encountered today. In what ways were you aware of following Jesus? How did you speak up when you could have remained silent? How did you experience God’s love? In what ways did you model and share God’s love? With whom do you need to celebrate the love you experience in and through them: what will you do differently tomorrow?

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Your Call to God’s Mission

Have you ever thought of yourself as called to ministry? Too many of us assume that “calling” belongs only to clergy. The truth is that every baptized follower of Jesus is called by God to ministry.

Several months ago, we looked at Matthew 4:18-22. (See: Your Call To God’s Mission) It was the story of Jesus calling Peter, Andrew, James, and John while they are at work. They are not searching for a new career or a new purpose. Jesus seeks them out and invites them: “Follow me.”

The call was both disruptive and transformative. Jesus asked them to reorder their priorities around God’s kingdom. So, they leave their nets and follow, showing that their relationship with Jesus takes precedence over work, status, and even family obligations.

Read Matthew 9:9-13

9 As Jesus continued on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at a kiosk for collecting taxes. He said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him. 10 As Jesus sat down to eat in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners joined Jesus and his disciples at the table.

11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12 When Jesus heard it, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. 13 Go and learn what this means: I want mercy and not sacrifice.  I didn’t come to call righteous people, but sinners.”

Reflect Jesus Calls Matthew

Just as the fishermen, Matthew is not seeking a new career. He is a tax collector. He is at work, when Jesus sees him and invites him to follow.

Notice what Matthew does. He throws a dinner party for other tax collectors and sinners. The terms tax collector and sinners point to those who were not ritually clean regarding the Law.  They were outcasts and are not considered inside the proper circles of religious faith.

So, Matthew’s call is both disruptive and transformative. Jesus asks him to reorder his priorities around God’s purposes. So, he not only follows Jesus but invites other tax collectors and sinners to meet Jesus.

Jesus, eating with these outcasts causes the religious keepers of the Law to question why Jesus would be participating in such outrageous activity.

Jesus responds by saying, “I didn’t come to call righteous people, but sinners.”

What does this mean for you? Your primary calling is not to a profession but to a Person—Jesus Christ. While God may lead you into work as a teacher, nurse, doctor, lawyer, parent, or volunteer, those roles are secondary callings. Your first and greatest calling is to follow Jesus.

God values you not for what you achieve but for who you are: a beloved child created to love and serve others. Your vocation becomes meaningful when it flows from that primary identity.

Called to Follow

As part of the church, you and I are people invited by God to live differently. It is God who does the calling. In our culture, we often talk about “our” call. The truth is, you are not choosing Jesus. Jesus is choosing you. You are called out, invited, to live and love differently. So. following Jesus is not simply adding faith to an already busy life; it is allowing God’s mission to shape every part of your life.

God’s Mission, Your Mission

 When you respond to Jesus, God’s mission becomes your mission. Your work, relationships, decisions, and daily interactions are all opportunities to reflect God’s love.

You are called to love family, friends, colleagues, strangers, and even enemies, and to be a witness to God’s grace in every situation and circumstance.

You have been drafted by God’s grace into service. You have been chosen to reorient your living and loving. Your priorities are directed by God’s mission. Your calling is not primarily about what you do. It is about who you are. As you follow Jesus, your life becomes a living expression of God’s love in the world.

Respond

Throughout the day, be mindful of your call to follow Jesus. Be aware of how your call impacts your interactions with people, your relationships, and your decisions. Keep in mind that God is placing people in your life to be loved and cared for. Who are those people? How will you respond as a follower of Jesus?

Return

Give thanks for God’s call upon your life, and thanks for the people you encountered today. In what ways were you aware of following Jesus? How did you live out your call? How did you experience God’s love? In what ways did you model and share God’s love? With whom do you need to celebrate the love you experience in and through them: what will you do differently tomorrow?

Prayer

O God, make me aware of the people around me today. Help me follow Jesus faithfully and love others as you have loved me. Use me to be a blessing wherever I go. Amen.

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Making Jesus Your Priority

When preparing for mission, begin by learning about “missio Dei,” the mission of God. As you listen and learn, set your focus on the love of God you have experienced in and through Jesus. 

Part of your preparation is helping individuals know that they are “beloved children of God,” and that God has something special for them to do as God’s children. Improve the acoustics so that people can hear God’s call amid the many callings in their lives.    

Make Jesus Your Priority

As you prepare, help people be about God’s business. Make Jesus your priority for living and loving. With the competing voices vying for your attention, it is easy to give into the loudest voices. The default is to depend upon your own goodness and effectiveness. But, when you make Jesus your priority, you focus on God’s goodness and upon becoming who God has created and gifted you to be.   

As a follower of Jesus, it is your responsibility to model God’s call. It is your responsibility to lead people into God’s mission. As you model what it means to follow Jesus, you begin to reorient your perspectives and thinking, and you gain a clearer focus on what is most important.   

Put God’s Love in Action

So, what is most important? Putting God’s love, agape, into action. When Jesus is your priority, God’s love permeates every aspect of your life. Jesus becomes your reason for living and loving. 

The goal is for every person and every congregation to be a conduit of God’s love. When Jesus is the priority, people begin to love one another as they have been loved. When Jesus is the priority, the church begins to love the people in the community. So, as you prepare for mission, make Jesus your priority.    

Look at how Paul talks about making Jesus the priority in his letter to the Philippians. 

Read Philippians 3:5-14 

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.  8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 

12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal, but I press on to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have laid hold of it, but one thing I have laid hold of: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. 

Reflect on Philippians 3:5-14 

Paul wrote to the church in Philippi in response to teachers who were trying to influence the church by focusing more on themselves and their credentials than on Jesus and what it meant to follow him. 

Essentially, Paul is saying, “If I were to enter a bragging contest, I would win. Not for what I have but for who I am.  With my identity, my genealogy, my family tree, my connections, my standing in the community, I win any bragging contest.”  

First, Paul was a Jew.  

With a little study of the scripture, you will find that Paul was proud to be a member of the house of Israel. The Jews had hung onto their faith in God. They had kept the light on when darkness was everywhere. They had given the world the basis for moral and ethical standards like the Ten Commandments, and they contributed the writings that shaped three great religions in the world, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Paul was born a Jew and was proud to be a Jew.   

Second, Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin. 

His family, Benjamin, was the smallest tribe, but was a productive tribe in Judaism. The first King of Israel, King Saul, was from his tribe. Paul was proud to have been named after King Saul. He was Saul of Tarsus. 

Third, Paul was a Pharisee. 

Different Jews had different views, but Paul was proud to be a Pharisee. It simply meant that he believed in the Bible. The scripture was central to all of life. It was important to know the Scripture, to listen to the Scripture being read, and to obey the Scripture in everyday living. Paul was known to be at the top of his class in learning and knowing Scripture. In fact, he had such passion for the scripture and was so conscientious that he could not stand anyone who distorted it or weakened it in any way. He was blameless under the Law, so he was proud to be a Pharisee. His character, his family, and his genealogy were unsurpassed. 

Fourth, being a Pharisee meant the synagogue was important. 

When the Temple was destroyed, the Pharisees built a substitute called the synagogue. They built synagogues everywhere they went. It was for worshiping God, listening to the Scripture, and keeping the covenant. Paul was proud of his heritage, proud of his faith, and proud of the witness and work of the Pharisees. 

Paul’s Heritage

With all the reasons he had to brag, he essentially says, “I count all this a garbage. My character and my heritage are no longer my ultimate priorities.”  Paul was not a man who lived with regret. He was not ashamed of his past and he was not torn up inside and burdened with guilt. All of his zeal and achievements, all his past and background were good. He did not have bad habits to be given up or guilty actions to be lived down. So why would he say all that good stuff was garbage? 

Look at chapter two of his letter. Paul believed Jesus was with God but did not count being with God or being equal to God something to hold on to. Instead, Jesus emptied himself, became a human being, and was obedient by putting his life on the line, dying on a cross. That is who Jesus is. That is what the anointed one is like. 

Downward Mobility

For Paul, being a follower of Jesus was not about upward mobility but downward mobility. Jesus had come from the presence of God, from all that was good. 

He came from, as the old Gospel song said, “the ivory palaces,” from the throne of glory, from the angels, from God. He possessed all that was good, but he tossed it and became a human being like you and me, obedient even to death. 

Become More Like Jesus

What would happen if, by the grace of God, you reoriented your perspectives and thinking, set these things aside and became more like Jesus? What would happen if you began to love, to care, to give, to serve, to suffer, and to sacrifice like Jesus?” 

Paul said, “Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal, but I press on to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me. I do not consider that I have laid hold of it, but one thing I have laid hold of: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” 

What could happen if you became more like Jesus? Remember, who you are is how you lead. 

Respond to Philippians 3:5-14

Paul thought that if you are going to be a follower of Jesus then you should be like Jesus. Here are the questions to reflect upon today and everyday as you set your goal on being like Jesus. 

  • How can I claim to be a follower of Jesus and seek upward mobility?
  • What do I do with my pride?
  • What do I do with my agenda?
  • What do I do with my selfishness?
  • What do I do with my independence?
  • What do I do with my calendar to which I may or may not add a little church?
  • How can I tack on my Christianity around the edges and keep my life intact when this new life is in the name of Jesus, who gave it all up, took it to the heavenly dump, and came down here and became a servant? 

Today, be aware of the moments you insist on your own way. Take note of the times you let people know who you are as a way of getting ahead or as a way of getting what you want. Keep in mind what it means to have Jesus as your priority in all you say, think, and do. 

Be mindful of what you need to set aside or take “to the dump” to become who God has created you to be. 

Prayer

O God, make me aware of the people around me today. By your grace, help me yield a little more of myself so that I may love others as you have loved me in Jesus. Help me be faithful to your call upon my life so that I may be a blessing to someone, somewhere, today. Amen

Return

Give thanks for God’s call to follow Jesus. In what ways were you aware of following Jesus? Of giving up your pride? Your agenda? Your selfishness? Your independence? Your desire to put Jesus second to what you wanted or desired? What did you take to “the dump” today? Who were the people you encountered? How did you experience God’s love? In what ways did you model and share God’s love? With whom do you need to celebrate the love you experienced in and through them? What will you do differently tomorrow?

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A Legacy of Hope

Have you given thought to the legacy you are leaving? If you have, are you leaving the legacy you want to leave? If you haven’t, did you know that every day, what you say and what you do shapes a future that others will live in? Every decision you make is part of a legacy someone will inherit. The question is: what legacy are you creating and leaving for others?

I read recently that legacy is not a matter of monuments or money. Legacy is a matter of impact. It’s about the unseen ripples you create, even in the quiet moments you think do not matter. Maya Angelou said, “Your legacy is every life you touch.” So, what legacy are you leaving?

Today, I want to challenge you to create a legacy of hope. I have learned that hope is much more than wishful thinking. It is the action taken to intentionally navigate the barriers to love others the way you have been loved. In other words, hope and love go hand in hand.

Paul Chilcote writes, “If hope is about something you cannot see, then all the hopeless situations that you do see or experience yourself make it so hard to hope for a loving future.” At a time when many seem to be hopeless, it is important to think about the connection between hope and love.

The apostle Paul, when addressing the changing relationships between the Jewish community and the inclusion of Gentiles wrote:

Read Romans 15:13

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” 

Reflect on Romans 15:13

Paul is writing about unity within the new emerging Christian community. He uses two examples to support his challenge. The first example is hospitality. He writes about welcoming and accepting one another “as Christ accepted you.” The acceptance Christ extends makes possible the acceptance of all persons.

Through his example of hospitality, he challenges the Jews in Rome to include the Gentiles. Paul’s mission and ministry started among the Jewish community. Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, there is a new community which includes both Gentiles and Jews.

The second example is hope. He is teaching that all people, including the Gentiles, have the same hope, the same promise of inclusion, in Jesus. Out of this hope, all the faithful within the diverse Roman Christian community may participate together in “joy and peace in believing.” Jew or Gentile, “strong” or “weak,” all find their “hope” in Jesus, his mercy and grace.

Welcoming and acceptance binds them together “by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Their hope is in Jesus, a common faith in God’s inclusion, and in the new world created by God’s coming to us in Jesus.

So, what does that have to do with a legacy of hope?

Respond to Romans 15:13

We sometimes think of hope as just optimism or positive thinking, but have you considered hope as a force that shapes how you engage with the world? How do you shape the future?

When I think of hope, I think of planting seeds. When you plant seeds of hope you are not simply waiting passively for things to get better. You are participating by creating conditions and navigating obstacles where new possibilities can take root and grow. You are shaping the future. You are creating and leaving a legacy of hope.

Paul and Janet Chilcote, in their book On Love: 20 Lessons for the World We Seek, write, “Love is ultimately connected with hope. In a world of hopelessness, planting seeds of hope is an essential act of love. Whenever you restore hope in someone’s life, this cultivates a beloved community; a more loving and just world.” That is a legacy of hope.

Every garden and every forest began with a single seed. Every movement for positive change started with small acts of hope. When we understand this, we see that no act of love is too small. Each loving action plants a seed that carries within it the possibility of new life. Planting seeds of love cultivates a legacy of hope.

Planting Seeds of Hope

The Chilcotes, in On Love: 20 Lessons for the World We Seek, tell the following story:

Jurgen Moltmann will go down in history as the father of the “theology of hope.” During one of his visits to Duke University, Paul invited him to lunch. While introducing himself more fully, Paul explained that he was working on his doctoral studies with Frank Baker.

Moltmann interrupted, “Oh. Would you like to hear a story about Frank and Nellie Baker? Paul sat back to take it all in. Moltmann began:

“During World War II there was a German prison of war camp on the northeast coast of England near the city of Hull. A young pastor and his wife served a small Methodist circuit close by. They were filled with compassion and compelled to do something to reach out to the German prisoners who were their neighbors.

They went to the commander and asked permission to take a prisoner with them to church each Sunday and then to their home where they would eat their Sunday dinner together. It was agreed. So, Sunday after Sunday a steady flow of German soldiers worshiped and ate with the Bakers in their home throughout the course of the war.”

This world-famous theologian paused, looked at Paul and said, “One of those soldiers was a young man by the name of Jurgen Moltmann. It was at Frank and Nellie Baker’s dinner table that the seed of hope was planted in my heart.”

Where Hope Grows

Frank and Nellie Baker could not have known that their Sunday hospitality would help shape one of the twenty century’s most influential theologians. They simply opened their home and their hearts, planting seeds of hope through regular acts of inclusion and care.

The Bakers created a legacy of hope. Their example shows us that hope often grows best in the soil of relationships. They did not just feed bodies; they nourished souls through genuine connection and community. The legacy of hope grows out of relationships.

Their example reveals that hope requires courage. Just as Paul used examples of including Gentiles, it takes courage to cross boundaries, to welcome strangers, to love in spite of social pressure or potential criticism. The legacy of hope grows out of courage.

Their example shows that hope’s impact often extends far beyond what we can see. The seeds we plant may bear fruit in ways we never witness, in lives we never know we have touched. The legacy of hope grows out of living as you have been created to live.

The Bakers created a legacy of hope by keeping their focus on the compassion they want to show to the prisoners. They navigated the barriers by getting permission. And they carried through on their mission of caring for the prisoners. They created the hope they wanted to share.

Return

Give God thanks for the people you encountered today. Where did you experience hope? What happened? With whom do you need to celebrate the hope you have experienced in and through them? How will you begin to create a legacy of hope

Prayer

O God, you are my wisdom, strength, and guide. In you I find joy and peace. In you I find hope. Help me become a person of hope for the people around me. Give me the courage to create a legacy of hope by developing relationships and loving others you have loved me. By your grace help me live the life you have created me to live so those people around me will find themselves in your loving embrace. I am grateful for your love and hope in Jesus. Amen.

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Responding in a Time of Confusion

In a time of confusion and chaos, many voices are vying for your attention. So, as a follower of Jesus, a Christian, how do you discern the truth in the midst of all the rhetoric? Where do you start in your evaluation of what you hear and perceive?

It matters where you start. As a follower of Jesus, you start with love, particularly God’s love. In our culture, we talk a lot about love without much reflection. Often, we base our love on what we like or how we feel. Sometimes we even base our love on what is going to serve us best and cost us the least. 

Regardless of how you view love, I think you will agree that love is deep and complex. It is understood to be an emotion that touches the heart, a feeling that brings closeness and comfort, and a passion that lights something powerful inside us. It can be both gentle and intense, making us feel open and vulnerable. It is also what lifts us into the most joyful and meaningful moments in life.

Start with God’s Love

As followers of Jesus, love is defined and shaped by God’s love, and it is lived out in everyday situations and circumstances. It might be true that what the world needs now is love, but not just any kind of generic love. I want to offer a perspective that might help us respond to the rhetoric of today as followers of Jesus. Rather than starting with our deeply felt opinions or our political positions, let’s start with the love of God. I am convinced that the love of God will help us see more clearly how to respond as people of faith.

Agape

God’s love, in scripture, is known as agape. It is a selfless love, completely unconditional and given without expecting anything in return. It is not based upon feeling, emotion, or passion, but upon intentional choices that work for the good of all people. It is a choice no matter what the situation or circumstance. It is a choice regardless of difficulty or convenience.

With that said, it is not based upon political opinions or positions. It is not bound by our conditions or criteria. It is not bound by whether we have determined someone worthy of our care. God’s love goes beyond all boundaries we have set to protect ourselves and our assets.

Below are three scriptures that can and will help in forming your response of love to the words being spoken today.

Read John 1:1-5, 14

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word was with God in the beginning. Everything came into being through the Word, and without the Word nothing came into being. What came into being through the Word was life, and the life was the light for all people. The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.

The Word became flesh and made his home among us. We have seen his glory, glory like that of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

Matthew 23:36-40

“Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

He replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being,[c] and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”

Galatians 522-25

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against things like this. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the self with its passions and its desires. If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit. 26 Let’s not become arrogant, make each other angry, or be jealous of each other.

Reflect on the Scripture

Although each gospel writer expresses it differently, they announce the same good news, Jesus is the human expression, the human touch of God’s love. John says the Word became flesh in Jesus. So, amid the present confusion and chaos, a place to start and to stand in your evaluation is the Word of God, the love of God made human in Jesus.

Matthew, who is concerned about holy and righteous living, helps us to see that holiness is revealed in our primary relationships with family and friends, and in our relationships with strangers, and enemies. We love God by loving our neighbor. The measure of all relationships is love of neighbor.

Paul, when writing to the church in Galatia, writes about the behavior that is contrary to God’s love and then lists the characteristics of God’s love. The characteristics are known as the “fruits of the Spirit.” As a Jesus follower, you produce this fruit by the way you live and love others. All you say, do, and hear is measured by the fruit you produce as a Jesus follower.

Respond to the Scripture

Over the past several weeks and months we have heard a lot of words about “us,” meaning conservatives, Christians, and real Americans versus “them” meaning progressives, the woke left, and academia. The rhetoric has helped to create an atmosphere of division and polarization.

There has been an oversimplification of complex issues, which has led to conflict in the form of dehumanizing and demonizing those with whom we disagree.

Love One Another

How do we as followers of Jesus respond to such rhetoric? Remember, the Word became flesh and came to live with us.” We love one another as we have been loved in and through Jesus. When working for the good and well-being of others, there is no place for dehumanizing and demonizing persons with whom we disagree. So, keep focused on the love that God has shown you, so you can show that love to others regardless of political position or opinion.

There has been emotionally charged language like spiritual warfare and enemy territory used to motivate loyalty and action. The language has created the fear of loss and a moral urgency as well as inflamed division, created mistrust, and weakened attempts at constructive dialogue. To illustrate, a recent speaker said, “I hate my opponents and don’t want the best for them.” 

Start with Jesus

How do we as followers of Jesus respond to such language? When you start with Jesus, you start with love and trust. Even though you hear words that create fear, you trust the words “perfect love casts out fear.” Even though you hear words that create mistrust, you focus upon the God who loves you and works for your good. You focus upon the God who trusts you to be a witness of love in unloving situations.

Some of what you have heard treats political and cultural issues as threats to civilization, to our country, and to our faith. There has been a blurring of faith and country leading to political loyalty and ideology that has pushed aside values like love, compassion, justice and humility.

The rhetoric regarding culture wars has, in many instances, overshadowed the discussion of constructive policy that addresses systemic problems and reasonable responses to the threats around us.

Your Loyalty is to Jesus

How do we as followers of Jesus respond to what we hear related to what we believe? Your loyalty is Jesus. Remember, Jesus is the human touch of God’s love. To live your life as a follower of Jesus you will show the characteristics of love expressed in the “fruit of the Spirit,” the characteristics of God’s love: joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

To say it in another way. God’s love puts the well-being of others first.  It is rooted in the actions of grace, kindness, and commitment. When you seek to follow Jesus, you seek to align yourself with God. When you align yourself with God, you learn to love what God loves. “God so loved the world…” and all the people in the world. Whatever action needs to be taken to heal our world, our communities, our relationships is in harmony with God’s love. 

God’s love brings people together. God’s love shows up in the way we love one another. From a biblical perspective, loving others is more than a nice idea. Loving others is who we are as followers of Jesus.

Love Your Neighbor as You Love Yourself

Loving neighbor is rooted in the Old Testament teaching of Leviticus, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), and from the New Testament witness to Jesus being God’s love, “Love one another as I have loved you (John 13:34). 

It is the intentional act of caring for others with empathy, respect, and compassion, recognizing their dignity and worth. Love of neighbor challenges us to look beyond ourselves, to serve, support, and uplift those around us, whether friend, stranger, or adversary. It challenges us to build communities of justice and peace through selfless concern and shared humanity.

God’s Love Seeks the Good of All People

God’s love shows up as a generous spirit that humanizes rather than dehumanizes people. As we have said, it expresses itself in seeking the good of all people.

So, in this time of confusion and chaos, when many voices are vying for your attention, you can discern the truth by staying focused on God’s love in Jesus. Jesus is the truth, the way, and the life. Start your evaluation of what you hear with him, and you will be able to stand through it all with love and grace.

I know that sounds simplistic, but it is not about power and position, it is about love and compassion. Listen to the voices around you. When you hear words of love and compassion, you will know how to make your decisions.

Return to Reflect on the Day

Give God thanks for the people you encountered. In whom did you see Jesus? In what situations did you decide to respond in love? What did you learn about yourself? What will you do differently tomorrow? Give God thanks for the experiences that have helped you become who God created you to be.

Prayer

O God, help me love the people you send my way every day. Fill me with a love so deep that I am not only moved but I make a conscious decision to work for the good of others. By your grace, help me respond to your love with love for the people around me. I place myself at your disposal, in the name of Jesus. Amen

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Will You Make The Difference

The following blog was written before the latest school shootings at Evergreen High School in Evergreen, Colorado, and Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. So, I want to update the statistics cited in the blog. 

As of September 10, there have been 47 school shootings: twenty-four on college campuses and twenty-three on K-12 school grounds. Nineteen people have died, and at least 77 other victims have been injured.

It is my hope that I will not need to update the statistics again before you read the blog.

Will You Make the Difference?

On August 27, two more children were killed in a school shooting. The incident was the 44th act of gun violence on school property this year in the United States alone. To date, 18 people (children and teachers) have died and 74 people (children, teachers, and bystanders) have been injured.

I confess that I am speaking from my heart and not my head when I ask, “In what universe is that acceptable?” How much longer are we, as the people of the United States of America, going to allow these acts of violence against our children to continue? I know there are no easy answers, but I also know that little has been done to address the disease of violence. Gun violence in our schools has reached epidemic proportions.

Startling Statistics

Forty-four school shootings so far this year compares to 39 school shootings in 2024, 38 in 2023, and 51 in 2022. You don’t need me quoting statistics and you don’t need me to say that one school shooting is too many. I am writing to ask the question, what kind of leadership is needed to address the disease of mass shootings and specifically school shootings in our country? Are our thoughts and prayers enough? Is attempting to explain it away as mental illness making a difference? Will targeting the perpetrators with more violence bring an end to the chaos and confusion? Is depending upon our lawmakers both in Congress and our state legislatures bringing any measurable results? Is saying “someone must do something” addressing the disease? 

Since Sandy Hook, almost thirteen years ago, when 20 children and 6 adults were murdered in their classrooms, mass shootings in schools have become part of who we are. I hope I am wrong, but the feeling is, we have normalized school shootings. The shootings are just part of the statistics for the 586 mass shootings in 2024. They are just a part of the 711 people killed and the 2,375 people wounded. With that said, what kind of leadership is needed to be effective? 

Public Health Crisis

In recent years, even when someone stepped forward to do something, a group of people grew indignant. “We have our rights.”  “You can’t take away our rights.”  And nothing changed. I remember thinking when I saw President Obama in tears as he addressed the country after Sandy Hook, that we would surely do something positive in the name of the children murdered. I thought that would lead to public outrage and there would never again be another mass shooting in our country.

The outrage faded until another act of horrible violence, like the shooting on August 27 at Annunciation Catholic Church shocked us back into the reality of our inactivity. The truth is, we do have our rights. But to address the public health crisis of mass shootings does not take away anyone’s rights. In fact, it takes seriously the rights of others, particularly children. 

“Someone Do Something”

So, let me ask again, are our words enough to be effective?

Are our broken hearts, whether rooted in compassion or outrage enough? Has standing in the pulpit and declaring, “In the name of Jesus, someone do something” been sufficient? Oh, there have been some changes. The Sandy Hook Promise has made significant progress in getting federal laws passed during divisive government. Congress has passed mental health and school safety laws. I want to applaud those changes. I also want to applaud the work of the teenagers from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. But the changes made are not enough.  So again, what needs to be done to make a difference?

To answer that question, let me start with this story.

Telemachus

There is a story of a monk, Telemachus, from southern France, who went to Rome to take in the splendors of the Holy City. When he arrived, he was caught up in the crowd going to the Coliseum. He wasn’t aware of all that was involved in the entertainment of the day. Soon, however, he realized what was going to happen when the gladiators took their places on the field. They drew their weapons, waved them at Caesar, then called out, “We who are about to die salute thee!” 

At that moment, the young monk realized that the gladiators were about to fight each other to their death. He called out in the middle of the roaring crowd, “Stop! Stop! In the name of Jesus, stop!”

His voice could not be heard above the roar of the crowd. He rushed down the aisle to the barrier that separated the cheering crowd from the strutting gladiators. Again, he yelled, “In the name of Jesus, stop!” Still, no one noticed him nor heard his pleas.

He jumped over the barrier and ran out into the middle of the Coliseum floor. He stood between two of the gladiators and yelled at each of them, “In the name of Jesus, stop!” 

The two gladiators ignored his words. The spectators grew indignant with the monk for interrupting their sport. So, they stoned him to death. 

Caesar was informed of the death of Telemachus. When he learned that Telemachus was now numbered among the victorious martyrs, Caesar put an end to the sport. ¹ 

From that day on, there would be no more gladiator fights in Rome’s Coliseum. An end to the brutality and the death all took place because one person was willing to pay the price.

What Kind of Action is Needed?

Let’s face it, no one wants the violence that has taken place at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, or Antioch High School or The Covenant Presbyterian School in Nashville, Tennessee, Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, or at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newtown, Connecticut, or at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, or Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado or the hundreds of other mass shootings over the years. Yet, we have gotten to a point where we can no longer live our lives without the thought that every time we say goodbye to our children, spouses, and friends, it could be the last because of gun violence. The question is, what kind of action will it take to stop it from happening again? 

Other countries seem to have addressed the problem of gun violence. Countries like Australia, Canada, Japan, England, China, Singapore, Germany, and New Zealand all have gun laws that have helped in preserving human life. I support the Second Amendment of our Constitution. You have the right to “bear arms.” My question is regarding the rights of the people who are being killed, especially children. What needs to be done to protect their rights? For me, the greater question is, what needs to be done to protect the lives of the citizens of our country?

Human Life is Sacred

As I think about it, there is a need for some fundamental changes in the way we view human beings.

Human life is sacred. As followers of Jesus, you and I understand that human life is sacred and that every person, regardless of nationality, race, gender, or religion is a beloved child of God? With that being true, let us begin to advocate for courses in our public schools that teach the sacredness of human life. These courses need to include the understanding and care for persons of mental illness as well as the care for all persons who might be different. As we teach the sacredness of human life, we will begin to live the sacredness of each person.

Work for the well-being of others. As followers of Jesus, let us work for the well-being of others. Let’s teach and model what it means to love with the love of God. Then advocate for courses in public schools that teach how to work for the well-being of all people, especially those who are vulnerable or marginalized. As we teach how to work for the well-being of all people, we will begin to model what it means to work for the well-being of others.

I know that for some people this seems simplistic, but these are ways we have not tried in recent history. The problem with violence, especially in our schools, is not guns but how we view people and how we work for the good of all people.

There is a need for some fundamental changes in the people we elect to create policies and pass laws.

Courage to Change

Elect Courageous Leaders to Congress

The time has come to elect leaders who will courageously step out and risk who they are and the positions they hold to make the difference. It will take courageous United States Senators and Representatives to risk re-election. The time has come to stop politicizing such acts of violence and to step up and advocate for the rights of children, teenagers, and adults who have become vulnerable in places assumed to be safe. Whether it be schools, concerts, or grocery stores, courageous leaders need to protect the rights of all of us regarding public safety. These leaders must shift from thoughts and prayers to policy and change. 

Elect Courageous Governors and State Legislators

The time has come to elect courageous governors and state legislatures to do the same. As our country moves more to state rights, it is imperative that state and local leaders think first of the people they serve before thinking of position or power. Courageous leaders are vulnerable leaders. They take the risk of being authentic and trustworthy. These leaders must shift from aspirational rhetoric to real action. 

Action and Policy 

Let Us Be Who God Created Us To Be

The time has come for you, as a courageous spiritual leader, to risk popularity and acceptance. Your life and what you believe helps to shape the thinking and the action of the policymakers. You have the opportunity to model responsibility and accountability, not only for governmental leaders but for people who vote. Through your word and action, you will assist people to contact their United States senators and congresswomen/men to address mass shootings. You will find a way to contact the governor, state representatives, and local authorities to address the violence. You have the opportunity to step up and lead in an effort to hold the sanctity of life before policymakers as well as those who vote. 

Needed Change: Be A Courageous Voter

The time has come for each of us to be courageous voters. We must risk voting for candidates who might not be members of our own political party. If there is to be any positive change, you must take advantage of the opportunity to assist people to vote and elect the leaders who will step up to make the changes needed. Help people be an educated electorate so that they will understand who they are electing and what each person stands for. Help people elect leaders who will have the courage to develop and deliver the policies needed to put an end to children being killed in our schools, racial hatred, and the availability of guns without appropriate laws and guidelines. 

Blessed are the Peacemakers

Jesus taught, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.” In leading through this crisis, you will be living as a true peacemaker. 

Stepping out and speaking up is truly difficult at the time in our history.  But you were created and gifted for this time in history. You have everything you need to step up and provide the leadership to change our accepted culture of violence. 

If someone must do something, then let the action begin with you and me. 

Know of my prayers as you become who you have been created to be as a follower of Jesus.

—

Story adapted from Let Me Tell You a Story: Life Lessons from Unexpected Places and Unlikely People, by Tony Campolo and Favorite Monks: Telemachus: The Monk Who Ended the Coliseum Games, by Monk Preston.

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Focus and Purpose

You want your life to count for something, but your daily actions don’t always line up with your values. You want to make a difference in the lives of your family, colleagues, neighbors, even strangers, but you feel as though you are pulled in too many directions to make much of an impact.

Often, to make a difference that counts, you have to live beyond yourself. Your impact will not be seen in your titles or achievements. Your impact will be experienced through aligning your strengths with your purpose and focusing on loving and caring for others. When you begin to live beyond yourself, you begin to leave a legacy that lives on long after you have gone.

Your legacy begins with your focus.

Read Matthew 6:22-23

The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is not healthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Reflect on Matthew 6:22-23

This verse comes in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus is teaching about righteousness. In these verses, the implication is righteousness is shown in how your attention, desires, and values are in alignment with God.

In Hebrew thought, the eye was understood to be the window or the lamp that lets light into the body. What you focus on, what you “let in,” determines whether your inner life is full of light or darkness.

The Greek word for “healthy” literally means single, clear, or undivided. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light but if your eye is not healthy, your whole body will be full of darkness.  Healthy carries the sense of being wholehearted, generous, or focused. So, a “healthy eye” focuses upon God and is free from distractions or conflicting loyalties.

Said another way, when your inner vision is clearly focused, your entire life is illuminated with truth, clarity, and goodness. But when your eye is unsound, confusion and greed direct your life. A “healthy eye” means God is the priority who gives meaning and purpose to all other desires and loyalties.

Taking those two verses by themselves might be enough, but Matthew put them in the middle of a conversation on “where your treasure is” (6:19-21) and “no one can serve two masters” (6:24).

When taken within its context, this scripture calls for a radical reorientation of your life. The meaning of “heart” is the Hebrew understanding of the center of your life. The identification and location of your “treasure” turns out to be a matter of your total self. So how you handle property turns out to be a matter of trust, either your heart/life is in God or is in your material possessions.

In this context, undivided service can be given to only one master. If there is more than one, there are conflicting and dividing loyalties. That means that every choice is favoring one and rejecting the other. The choice is not whether you will serve, but whom or what will you serve.

For Jesus, when your eye is healthy, your orientation is healthy, and your treasure is, where your heart is, with God.

Respond

Having a clear focus makes the difference in how you live your life. When I begin to think of a clear focus, I think of Jesus. He set his face toward Jerusalem because he was focused on being who God had created him to be.  His purpose was to be the Christ, the anointed one.

To live into his purpose, he was obedient to God by caring for the people he encountered each day. When you read of Jesus feeding, healing, caring, loving, serving, and dying, you are reading of him being focused upon a purpose greater than himself.

When your eye is healthy, you are focused on a purpose greater than your own. You begin to live beyond yourself, loving God and loving your neighbor in all you do.

Terry Fox was eighteen years old when he was diagnosed with a fast-metastasizing cancer.  It first settled in his legs and arms and later spread to his lungs, brain, and liver. After the shock of his new reality, Terry basically had two choices: give up hope and wait for death or discover something meaningful for which to live. He chose the latter. 

Cancer meant he would lose his leg.  But as he lay in his hospital bed, he began to dream of running across Canada. Because he loved to run, he committed to making his dream a reality.

By committing his life to making a difference in the fight against cancer, he created a true purpose.  The goal of his run, named the Marathon of Hope, was to raise one million dollars for cancer research.

A New Purpose: Hope

Terry discovered a purpose so great it uplifted him physically and mentally. The power of purpose drove him to remarkable heights of performance.  Even though he had only one healthy leg, a prosthesis attached to the stump of his other leg enabled him to run.

While running, he often wore running shorts. This, of course, exposed his false leg and made some people uncomfortable. But, instead of trying to please the people who were offended, he kept his focus on his goal.

Starting on April 12, 1980, he ran the equivalent of a marathon (twenty-six miles) almost every day, covering a total of 3,339 miles in only 143 days. His amazing feat provided hope for thousands of people all over the world.

In the midst of cancer, Terry Fox successfully forged a new purpose.  His purpose was to help eliminate cancer.  His goal was to raise one million dollars for cancer research.  He met his goal by keeping his focus on his purpose. When he aligned his everyday living, his goals, with his purpose, he enjoyed the peace of mind and a wonderful sense of being alive.

Becoming Who God Created You to Be

What does that story have to do with you?  I am convinced you can do the same.  You can become who God created you to be by focusing upon your purpose.  You can make a life-changing difference in the lives of the people around you and the world.

First – Discover Your Purpose

Here are a few questions to consider:

·   What are your strengths and talents?

·   What do you do best?

·   What do you really enjoy?

·   Where do you feel you are making a difference?

·   What do you care so deeply about that you are ready to give your life to make it

happen?

Terry Fox was profoundly touched by younger cancer victims.  Those people spurred him on every day, despite the hardships.

Remember, your purpose is bigger than you and will live on after you. So, the question might be “What legacy will you leave for those who follow you?”

Second – Align Your Purpose with Your Natural Strengths and Talents.

Terry Fox aligned his purpose with something he really enjoyed.  He excelled at running, so running across the country became a natural vehicle for him to achieve his goal.

You have unique strengths and talents.  Discovering your strengths is part of living your life.

Once you have discovered your natural strengths and talents, then use them to live out your purpose.  Remember, the greatest joy and peace of your life comes when you align your everyday living, your goals, with your purpose.

Third – Stay Focused on Your Purpose

Every day Terry Fox stayed true to his purpose. Despite snow, rain, and sleet, he set his heart, soul, mind, and strength on something bigger than himself. In the early stages of his run, there was almost no media coverage.  He sometimes felt alone and misunderstood.  He overcame that by keeping focused on his purpose.

Too often, you lose your direction in life because you are easily distracted or influenced by other people. Keeping your focus requires single-mindedness, a resolve to do whatever it takes. Staying focused will create a passion and a sense of significance deep within which will shape your everyday living and relationships.

There will be times when keeping a focus will be received as offensive and inconvenient.  There will be times you will be accused of being “focused to a fault.” At those moments, the challenge will be to keep your focus upon the God who has created you and to live into your purpose.

Personally, I consider it a compliment to be accused of being “focused to a fault,” especially when I am assisting others to become who God created them to be.

Fourth – Stay True to Your Purpose

In the later stages of his Marathon of Hope, Terry Fox attracted thousands of people in every major city. Through it all, he kept a humble spirit. It was his humble outlook and genuine concern for others, plus his never-give-up attitude as he battled adversity, that endeared him to millions of people.  Even after cancer spread to his lungs, he was determined to carry on.

Terry never got to finish his run.  He died on June 28, 1981.  Yet, the ongoing legacy he left continues to help cancer victims.  Terry Fox stayed focused on his purpose which allowed him to live beyond himself.

So, stay focused. Keep your eyes healthy. Let the light of God’s love in Jesus shine into your heart and spirit. Don’t allow an unhealthy ego to override your good intentions.  You will have your greatest and most positive impact on your family, friends, and community because you are focused on something greater than yourself.

Align Your Strengths & Purpose

I don’t know what season of life you are living at the moment, but I do know this; discovering and developing your purpose, then living your purpose, indicates that you will make a significant difference in the lives of your family, friends, and community.

So, set your heart and mind upon the person God has created you to be. As you live into your purpose, care for the people you encounter along the way. Keep your focus upon God’s love and begin to live beyond yourself.

Return

Give God thanks for the people you met today. As you reflect upon the day: At what points or experiences did you have to keep your focus? How did you react or respond when you felt you lost your focus? What did you learn about yourself? Who helped you remember that you are a child of God and how to keep your focus upon God’s love and upon loving others? What will you do differently tomorrow? Ask God to give you the faith to be who God has created you to be. 

Prayer

Lord, clear my vision. Help me to see the world as you see it, full of possibility, hope, and the beauty of your presence. Help me to recognize you in the people I meet along the way. Guard my heart from distraction and greed and fill me with the light of your Son so I may share your love with others. I offer myself to you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Naming and Facing Fear

The words “perfect love casts out fear” sound arrogant and unrealistic when you are in the midst of fear. When you are driven by fear, your insecurities create mistrust and instability. Your uncertainty strains relationships and creates anxious decision-making. So, the question is, “How do you name and face your fear?

In March 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt became President of the United States of America. He is known for many initiatives and accomplishments as president, but one line in his first inaugural address defined who he was as a leader, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

He was in effect calling the nation to action. He said fear was “nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” What he told the people was that the only barrier to progress was the fear of facing the real challenges and that once the fear had been faced the road to recovery would be open.

Jesus Followers and Fear

All followers of Jesus are acquainted with fear. It is one of the risks, threats, and hazards of living by faith. Whether it is failure, looking foolish, missing opportunities, hurting people, or the uncertainty of the future, fear is something all of us face.

As a Jesus follower, you don’t shy away from fear. You can understand their fears and even use their fears as reminders of the work needed in making decisions. If you do not understand and face your fears, then fear becomes an obstacle to you living by faith. Said another way, when you name and face your fears you take a step toward being the person you have been created and gifted to be. 

Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” Nelson Mandela said, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” As followers of Jesus, you have a tool and a relationship that helps you name and face your fears. 

Take a moment to read and reflect upon the words of 1 John 4:7-18.

Read 1 John 4:7-18

7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us.13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15 God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. 16 So we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear…

Reflect on 1 John 4:7-18 

From John’s perspective, our fear is met with God’s love. It is God’s love that makes our love possible. Love is the identifying mark of the followers of Jesus. We abide in him. We are at home with him and our love is perfected by him. To abide in this love is a continuing process resulting in being perfected in love or being mature in love. Mature love gives you confidence or boldness or courage. Mature love does not live in fear but in the assurance of God’s abiding love which always precedes and motivates our own.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. The word used for casts means “to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls.” From that perspective, love makes plain the worthless nature of our fears.

Respond to 1 John 4:7-18

Clarence Jordan wrote, “Fear is the polio of the soul, that keeps you from living by faith.” Too often, when you react in fear, it is too late to respond; Fear has already taken hold of you.  You realize when you should have acted or were impulsive, that fear kept you from being the person needed for the moment.  Jesus followers learn how to name and face their fears.

Below are seven common fears that love casts out.

The fear of taking risks. 

Jesus followers know that risk-taking is part of life. When you start with Jesus, the love of God, the risk in loving others is worth your time, practice, and experience. Your risks might not always show in the ways others measure success, but as a follower of Jesus, you don’t fear risk, you embrace it. 

The fear of failure. 

As a Jesus follower, you know there are times when you will fall short of your goals and the expectations of others. You also know that it is okay. Your failures are not final or fatal. You take responsibility for your actions and don’t give into the fear of falling short. That is part of your witness. You focus on current reality and move forward, even if it means you initially fall short of your goal. 

The fear of not being good enough. 

Jesus followers know that anything worth doing is worth doing well. You are not afraid of doing your best. But if you act out of loss of confidence, self-doubt, or self-criticism, you undermine relationships and trust. When you are living into the gifts God has given you, you live out of who you are. When there is criticism, you use it as a way of improving yourself. You welcome new ways of living and can embrace change. The bottom line is, to be who God created you to be and live accordingly.

The fear of change.

As a follower of Jesus, you know that change is inevitable. You know that fear of the unknown is natural, so you face the unknown with courage, ready to learn what you need to know to move forward. With your faith in Jesus, you don’t wait until you are forced to change. You embrace the change and become a change agent amid the change.

The fear of irrelevance.

Followers of Jesus want to make a difference. You are not anxious about becoming outdated. You are neither paralyzed from stepping into the future nor are you impulsively moving ahead without reflection. You recognize that good work is good work, and your past good work can be a reference point for the future of both you and the people in your care. You are always equipping others to make a difference in the areas of their responsibilities.

The fear of being vulnerable.

As a follower of Jesus, you know your strengths and weaknesses. As you develop relationships and build trust, you can utilize the strengths and gifts of the people around you. Knowing when to ask for help and support is a key part of being an effective Jesus follower. Demonstrating that you can admit that you don’t know or that you need to go and find out not only reduces pressure on yourself but encourages the people around you to do the same.

Fear of holding people accountable.

Followers of Jesus develop relationships with the people around them and are willing to be held accountable for their faith and work. People are watching you and are depending upon you to be trustworthy and compassionate. If you have the need to be liked or to please people, or do not know or refuse to deal with difficult situations, you undermine trust and stability. When you hold a standard of integrity and accountability, you develop the trust needed to accomplish your goals.

In facing fear, it matters where you start. When you start with the love of God and the love of neighbor, you are motivated to live as God created you to live. It makes a difference when facing the challenges that might bring fear and anxiety.

Perfect Love Casts out Fear

Fears are rooted deep within, and often what you fear reflects what you believe about God and about the people around you. To say and believe that “perfect love casts out fear” is to face and overcome your fears. You are starting with the knowledge and understanding that you are a beloved child of God and that by God’s grace you are equipped to face whatever obstacles you encounter. The good news is that God has created you to lead with the love you have received and experienced in and through Jesus. As a Christ-centered leader, you can lead with courage because perfect love, God’s love, is greater than your fears. God’s love can and will make you the person leader God created you to be.

Facing Your Fear

Take a minute to look at the fears listed above. Now, with the love you have experienced in and through Jesus, how will you face each fear? What do you need to overcome what paralyzes you from living by faith?

Please know that having a counselor and/or a coach is okay. There are people trained and equipped to assist you in facing each fear that hinders your living by faith. The only thing you have to fear is fear itself. Perfect love has cast out your fear. God’s love has set you free. So, trust the people around you. Allow your interaction with them to shape and mold you into the person of love God has created you to be.

Return to 1 John 4:7-18

Give God thanks for the people you met today. As you reflect upon the day: What fear did you experience? How did you react or respond? How did perfect love help you face and overcome your fear? What did you learn about yourself? Who helped you remember that you are a child of God and that you have been empowered to love others as God has loved you? What will you do differently tomorrow? Ask God to give you the faith to be who God has created you to be.

Prayer

O God, today I give you thanks for life and work. Thank you for the opportunities I have had to care for others the way you have cared for me. I offer myself to who you need me to be. As I face my fear, equip me to assist others in facing their fear.  In the name of Jesus. Amen

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It Matters Where You Start – Part 1

Over my 50 years of ministry, I have learned that it matters where you start. So, my question for you is, when you say you believe in Jesus, is it an intellectual acceptance or is it a response of trust and obedience? 

Early in my ministry, I came across a cartoon of a man who is intoxicated. He’s forgotten where he parked his car. He is leaning against a lamppost on a city street. His only hope is to call his wife and ask her to come and get him.

When he calls, she is disappointed but sympathetic. She asks, “Where are you? I’ll come and pick you up if you can tell me where you are. “The man looked to find the street name and replied, “I am at the corner of Walk and Don’t Walk.”

If you don’t know where you are when you start, the chances of giving misinformation or moving in the wrong direction are high. It is difficult to get to where you are going if you don’t know and understand your starting place.

How are you making decisions?

When you make decisions based on reliable information, communication, self-awareness, and examination, you are effective and courageous. When you make decisions based on incorrect assumptions without research and communication, not understanding why you think and act the way you do, the consequences can be disturbing for you and the people entrusted to your care.

Where you start makes a difference. All of us have internalized thoughts, behaviors, theologies, and practices that need to be examined and refined, if not transformed. If you start with your assumptions, values, and point of view, you will work to help people see your point and come over to your way of thinking.  If you start from a particular political position like progressive or evangelical, conservative or liberal, traditional or postmodern, you will spend your time and energy trying to get people to see things your way.

Faith or Politics?

Please hear me, I am not questioning your values or your point of view. But in a time when people are confusing Christian faith with political positions, our politics is informing our faith more than our faith in Jesus is informing our politics. 

It shows up in why people attend worship and participate in the life of the church. When you start with how the church can contribute to your professional life and financial success, you spend your time working on your preferences, trying to get what you want to your advantage. 

When you start with your personal preferences, whether theological, political, or social, your preferences are informing your faith more than your faith in Jesus is informing your preferences. 

Start with Jesus 

It matters where you start. When you start with Jesus, your values, point of view, and preferences are shaped by his influence in your living. When you start with Jesus, your values, point of view, and preferences can be transformed. 

May I say it this way? Your view is not as important as God’s view. Your preferences are not always God’s preferences. As a Christ-centered leader, as a Jesus follower, you start with Jesus. 

To start with Jesus means that Jesus informs who you are, what you say, and how you act. I am sure you are with me at this point.  But, over the years, I have learned that people misunderstand what it means to believe, to have faith, or to live their lives in response to God’s love and acceptance.

Dynamic Faith

I have learned that people have replaced dynamic faith with a passive belief in beliefs. They have shifted their starting place from faith in Jesus to a list of what they believe about Jesus. Although the shift seems subtle, it reveals itself in the way people relate to one another. Because of that shift, we are experiencing some painful consequences today. It matters where and in whom you place your faith.

As a child, when I did something to hurt one of my brothers, be disrespectful to my parents, or misbehave in some way, it would upset my mother. She would discipline me and tell me how disappointed she was. After a little time passed, I would apologize and say, “I love you, Mom.” And she would say, “I love you too. But, if you really love me, show me in the way you behave.”

Live What You Believe

Here is the key to believing. You show what you believe in the way you live your life. Think of it this way, when you say, “I believe in Jesus,” you are saying that you not only believe in the existence of Jesus, but that you trust and obey Jesus to be the leader of your life and living.

What you believe is important and reciting and remembering what you believe with creeds like the Apostle’s Creed, or the Nicene Creed are helpful in keeping you focused. But believing in Jesus is more than a belief system or adopting a creed. There is a danger of allowing what you believe to become passive. Passiveness creeps in when believing becomes intellectual acceptance. Again, hear me. I am not questioning your intentions, but when you take believing and make it a static list of propositions you are no longer talking about faith in Jesus. Your list of beliefs becomes your object of faith.

In the scripture, the word for believe and the word for faith come from the same word. To believe is to have faith. To believe Jesus, to have faith in Jesus, is to trust and obey Jesus.

John Hendrick, in his book, Opening the Door of Faith, defines Christian faith as a personal, relational, centered, response involving trust and obedience.

Christian faith is…

Centered

Centered because it has a particular object. According to the scriptures, the object of Christian faith is the living God revealed in Jesus, whom we call the Christ, Messiah, Son of the living God.  This means that Christian faith is not faith in general. It is not a philosophy of life about which we speculate. It is not a system of ethical ideals about which we may argue. It is not the object of a set of doctrinal beliefs to which we might agree.  

Jesus says, “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The implication is, if you have seen Jesus, you have seen God. Jesus is the way to understand the way, the truth, and life of God. 

Personal

Personal first because it is centered in a person, a living person, Jesus. The resurrection is true. It is not merely an event that happened over two thousand years ago. It means that Jesus is alive right now Second because it requires a personal response. Each person must own faith in Jesus for themselves. 

Jesus says, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” The implication is, in Jesus you and I can see who God is and what God is like.

Relational

Relational first because it makes possible a right relationship with God. Second, because it properly relates you to your neighbor. You cannot be properly related to God and improperly related to your neighbor. And third, because it establishes a right relationship with yourself.    

Jesus says, “Love one another as I have loved you.” And “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The implication is, you and I love others as God has loved us.

Trust and Obedience

A response involving trust and obedience.  Life is transformed by God’s love in and through Jesus. Your response to God’s love is a response of faith seen in your trust of God and in your relationship with the people you encounter each day.

The Foundation of Faith 

The foundation of faith is not based upon your feelings toward God or upon what you have done for others as much as it is upon what God feels toward you and what God has done on your behalf.  The foundation of faith is not about your promise to God as much as God’s promises to you. Your commitment is a response to God’s commitment. It is a response that involves your whole being: heart, soul, mind, strength, and will. 

So, it matters where you start. The question is this: do you start with a list of beliefs of what you are supposed to believe, or do you start with Jesus, the presence of the living God? Let me say it again, starting with Jesus means there is a dynamic transformation that shows up in your relationships in the places you live, work, and play. Starting with Jesus means life changes as you trust and obey.

I want to love Jesus, but…

One of the writers who has influenced my ministry over the years is Henri Nouwen. In his reflection on the story of Nicodemus and the words “you must be born from above” (John 3:7), he wrote,

“I love Jesus but want to hold on to my own friends even when they do not lead me closer to Jesus. I love Jesus but want to hold on to my own independence even when that independence brings me no real freedom. I love Jesus but do not want to lose the respect of my professional colleagues, even though I know that their respect does not make me grow spiritually. I love Jesus but do not want to give up my writing plans, travel plans, and speaking plans, even when these plans are often more to my glory than to the glory of God.”

Nouwen realized that he wasn’t all that different from Nicodemus. He wrote, “So I am like Nicodemus, who came by night, and said safe things about Jesus to his colleagues.”

It matters where you start. And if you start with keeping Jesus at a distance and controlling your beliefs, whether focused upon him or not, there will be little or no transformation and little or no quality leadership.

Sharing the Love of God

It matters where you start. Tom Long, while teaching homiletics at Princeton Theological Seminary, attended a nearby Presbyterian church that prided itself on being an academic, intellectual church. He said early on he went to a family night supper and sat down next to a man, introduced himself, told the man he was new, and asked, “Have you been here long?”

The man replied, “Oh yes. In fact, I was here before this became such a scholarly church. I am probably the only non-intellectual left. I haven’t understood a sermon in over 25 years.”

Tom asked, “Then why do you keep coming?”

“Because every Monday night, a group of us get in the church van and drive over to the youth correctional center. Sometimes we play basketball or play other games with the kids. Usually, we share a Bible story. But mostly we just get to know these kids and listen to them.

“I started going because Christians are supposed to do those kinds of things. But now I could never stop. Sharing the love of God at that youth center has changed my life.”

Then the man said, “You cannot prove the promises of God in advance, but if you live them, they’re true, every one of them.”

Over my 50 years of ministry, I have learned that it matters where you start. So, when you say you believe in Jesus is it an intellectual acceptance or is it a response of trust and obedience?  Only you know. 

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The Grace in Gratitude

If I could give one quality gift to you, I would give you the gift of gratitude. I have found gratitude to be the fundamental value of the followers of Jesus. It has the potential to transform your life, impact your relationships, and change the world. If I could have God do anything for you, I would ask that God make you a grateful person. 

Here’s why.  The words “grace” and “gratitude” have the same root in Greek. In other words, if there is no awareness of the grace of God, there is no gratitude. And there is no gratitude without an awareness of the grace of God. Throughout my years of ministry, I have never encountered a grateful person who was also bitter, hurtful, mean, or vengeful.   

Words of Gratitude

As I began my first appointment, I was introduced to the song “My Tribute.” Andre Crouch, who wrote and recorded the song, put words to what I understood to be my call to ministry.   

How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me?

Things so undeserved yet You gave to prove Your love for me.

The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude.

All that I am and ever hope to be, I owe it all to Thee.

To God be the glory. To God be the glory. To God be the glory.

For the things He has done. 

Gratitude in Everyday Life

As I have matured in my faith, I have grown to understand that gratitude is more than something I simply express with words. Gratitude is woven into the fabric of everyday living, relationships, perspectives and assumptions, and the way I see the world. 

As I have searched the scriptures, I have found that the Bible emphasizes the importance of gratitude from “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus…” (I Thessalonians 5:18) to “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1). 

In the scripture and in the Christian community, gratitude is seen as a virtue that fosters a positive and humble attitude, acknowledging the blessing of God in people and all of creation.

Read Luke 17:11-19 

11 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus[a] was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten men with a skin disease approached him. Keeping their distance, 13 they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16 He prostrated himself at Jesus’s[b] feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? So where are the other nine? 18 Did none of them return to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.” 

Reflect on Luke 17

Leprosy was a physical condition that had broad implications. It was an incurable disease that separated people from one another. It was a living death. Individuals with leprosy were required, by their religion, to stay outside the boundaries of the community.  

If you had leprosy, you were physically, as well as socially, isolated from family, friends, synagogue, and all that gave meaning and purpose to your life. To have leprosy meant that you had no quality relationships outside of the diseased community. Your only means of living was to beg for handouts. And not only were you isolated, but you had the responsibility of announcing your condition to everyone who came close. In other words, because of your condition, you were marginalized, ostracized, and humiliated.  

In the story, as Jesus walks by, it is not clear whether they were begging or if they had confidence in Jesus’ power to cleanse them. But as Jesus passed, they cried out, “Jesus, master, have mercy on us.” Although they did nothing to get leprosy, they have no rights to which they can appeal. Healing is not owed to them.  

Jesus directed them to “Go show yourselves to the priest.” The priest was one who could announce that each of them was cleansed of the disease. What is interesting here is Jesus gave each of them what was needed for healing and wholeness. His direction was an act of grace. 

They followed his direction. Their action of going to show themselves to the priest was their response. On their way, they were healed of their leprosy. They did not first simply believe and then go to the priest. They followed the direction of Jesus. As they followed his direction, they discovered they had been restored to health. Each of them received the same direction, the same grace, and were given hope of a new life. 

No Gratitude Without an Awareness of Grace

There is no gratitude without an awareness of grace. In the story, ten individuals experienced God’s grace. Each of them returned from the world in which they had been isolated. Each of them experienced a new life. Even though they each received grace and did what Jesus told them to do, there was no requirement to return. Yet, in a completely spontaneous expression of gratitude, one returned giving thanks and praise to God.  

Gratitude is a response to experience grace. It is the fundamental value of following Jesus. 

Respond by Starting the Day with Gratitude

Being a follower of Jesus starts with gratitude. So, how will you express your gratitude this week? Below are several things you might do to cultivate gratitude in your life. 

First, may I suggest that you start the day for the gift of life, for the breath you are taking, and for the opportunity to live another day. By giving thanks, you are putting life in its proper perspective.

Give thanks for the people in your life, those persons who bring joy to everyday living. Give thanks for the people who you will meet during the day, they will bring new perspectives to your living.

Say a word of thanks over the things you possess. By giving thanks, you live more by the God who holds you than by the things you are trying to hand onto. 

Because gratitude is the central virtue of the Christian life. There is no other virtue like it. Let me say it (write it again). I have never known a person who was grateful who was at the same time, mean or small or bitter or hurtful. 

Make Gratitude a Way of Life

Secondly, when you express gratitude, you weave gratitude into the fabric of your life. When you are a person of gratitude you lead with gratitude. Your relationships are immersed in gratitude, and your everyday outlook is one of grace.

You can explore more on gratitude being a way of life through the resources below: 

·   For an excellent story of gratitude, read Gratitude.

·   Explore the topic of leading with gratitude here:

·    Leading with Gratitude

·    Gratitude in Leadership  

·    Effective Leadership Begins With Gratitude 

·    Leading With Glad and Generous Hearts  

Make Time to Be Grateful

Third, if you are ready to become more deeply rooted in grace, another way to express your gratitude is:  

Over the next 5 days, make time each day to think about being grateful. Notice the people who inspire you. What do you see that makes you smile or to notice their actions? Keep in mind that no person or experience is insignificant. From the person who started a friendly conversation to the laughter of children, they are all part of what makes you who you are. The small joys are just as valuable as all the others. Give God thanks for the people you encounter each day.

Think about what makes your life easier. Is it the alarm that reminds you to get up each morning? The water in the shower? Your car, umbrella, cellphone? The list goes on. For what are you grateful at this moment? Give God thanks for what makes life easier.

Consider past relationships. Upon whose shoulders are you standing? What did the person do to make life better for you? Why are you better off for having known that person? Give thanks for the toughest relationship of the day. On my best days, I have come to experience sincere gratitude, even for difficult people, by looking for the good in my encounters with them. Give God thanks for the people who have gone before you, who are mentoring you, and who are helping you grow more in grace and generosity.

Add yourself to your gratitude list. You might feel uncomfortable. Most of the time you quickly focus upon things you do not like about yourself. But, when you practice gratitude, you can alter that negative cycle. What would happen if you, instead of focusing on your flaws, paid attention to what makes you most proud of yourself? Make a list of the talents and strengths God has given you. Now, give God thanks for those gifts and how God is using you to make a difference in the lives of the people entrusted to your care.

Finally, remember, who you are a beloved child of God. Give God thanks with a grateful heart for the opportunity to be who God has created you to be. 

Return

Give God thanks for the people you met today. 

·   Did you give God thanks for the day? For the people who bring

  you joy? For the people who help change your life perspective?

·   Did you say grace over your possessions? Why? Why not? 

·   How did you notice that gratitude is woven into the fabric of

  your life? If it is not, what will do to cultivate gratitude in your   

  living and leading? 

·   What did you learn about yourself and about your feelings and

  actions of gratitude? 

·   How did you experience God’s love? 

·   With whom did you share God’s love? 

·   Who is helping you grow as a leader? 

·   What will you do differently tomorrow? 

Ask God to give you the faith to be who God has created you to be. 

Prayer

O God, I give you thanks for the people and things in my life that make life meaningful and easy. Help me remember that I can let go of the things that hold me captive and trust you for meaning and purpose.  I give you thanks for my friends and colleagues who, through their gratitude, are helping me become more who you created me to be. I am grateful. Amen.