Growth Chart

When I was younger I was always concerned with being taller. I wanted to grow—I wanted a longer wingspan, I wanted to be at least 6’4, and I wanted to put on weight.

My love for basketball was responsible for my desire to grow. I was a big fan of Nick Anderson, who was the first player ever drafted by my favorite team, the Orlando Magic. My brother and I had a life-size cutout of the shooting guard in his white #25 jersey, and I remember charting our growth progress next to him.

As a shooting guard myself, I knew that my measurements had to be close to Nick Anderson’s 6’6, 205 lb. frame if I were going to make it to the NBA. I surpassed my desired height (barely), and eventually eclipsed the 205 mark; unfortunately, there is more to being a professional athlete than just the measuring tape.

But the truth is my height came as the result of my genetic makeup—my dad is 6’4—and not the result of my will or determination. No matter how hard I tried, I could not add an inch to my stature.

But that is not the case when it comes to growing spiritually. Colossians 2:7 tells us to be “rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

Being “built up” refers to growing; we may stop having growth spurts at some point, but we should never stop growing in the faith. The difference here is that the amount we grow in the faith is totally up to us; this is not left up to genetics, but to the amount of work we are willing to put in.

We need to have the desire to grow—the same desire that makes an NBA-driven kid want to get taller. With that desire, we can pray for God’s Spirit to lead us into truth, then open His Word and begin to learn. We also need to be faithful to our local churches and anywhere else the Gospel is taught. And don’t be afraid to ask questions from those who are more spiritually mature.

I hope you will hit a growth spurt today. 

Outdo with Honor

Are you one of those people who have a competitive nature? For some people, it doesn’t matter what the situation—playing a game, arm wrestling, seeing who can eat the most tacos—these people want to prove that they can do it the best.

What they are saying is, “I can outdo you.” It’s like the old song that says, “Anything you can I, I can do better.”

While there is nothing wrong with being competitive and competing, we need to remember to be gracious in both victory and defeat. But Paul instructed the Roman Christians to have a little competition of their own when it came to showing love.

The New King James translates Romans 12:10 this way: “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.”

The expression “giving preference” means “to lead the way.” Newer translations, such as the English Standard Version, say, “Outdo each other in showing honor.”

Sometimes we tell a person, “You have really outdone yourself.” Whether we are being sarcastic because of another failure or encouraging because of success, the expression indicates taking an action to a whole new level.

Paul was not just telling them to outdo themselves, but to outdo each other. Take their honor to a whole new level. Find the person who is the best at it, and find a way to do it more.

This is not about bragging rights or being the best, but about being known as people who show love and honor. Our motivation should be our love for God and love for each other, the ones to whom we are showing honor.

To all you people with a competitive nature, I propose a contest. Let’s see who can outdo each other in showing honor. 

Tax Day

As all tax paying citizens are aware, this past week brought us “tax day”—April 15^th. The day that all income taxes must be filed, and for many of us, a time when we find out how much more we owe the government.

Many people dread tax day. For some it is anticipated because there could be a big refund check, but still many people are nervous about the paperwork. You have to pay a person to look through your personal financial matters, and some of us wonder how good of a job they are doing.

Are they getting me every break I am entitled to?

Are they getting me too many breaks?

A few years ago we got an incredible return, only to find out later she was scamming the government. She charged us over $400, and our big check was quickly spent on home repairs, and now the IRS is reclaiming it a little each year. Many people have their own horror tax day stories, and you share my nervousness this time of year.

I have come to view tax day as something I must get through. I won’t set aside money in case I owe, but neither will I depend on a return. Tax day was not designed to make me rich.

If you want a big return, just be good and happy. Seriously.

1 Timothy 6:6 says, “Now there is great gain in godliness and contentment.”

That great gain refers to wealth—spiritual wealth—when we live godly and are content. As believers, we should desire to live godly lives all the time because that is what God has called us to. But He also calls us to be content.

Many Americans lack contentment in their lives. We need a little more. I’ve got to pay off the car. I need to set aside for my child’s college. There are so many things to fix around the house. When should I start planning for retirement?

While it is important to be responsible, we still need to be content. There is a fine line between our needs and our wants that we must not cross. Are you content with what you have?

Wanting to have more drives us crazy, but contentment allows us to be satisfied with what we have. 

Sundial

This past week I made a homemade sundial (sort of) for an object lesson in church. I was teaching about the time God turned back the sun 10 degrees as a sign that He would save King Hezekiah’s life (2 Kings 20), and my sundial got me thinking that sometimes in life we simply have to do the best we can with what we have.

For one thing, sundials are very hard to find. I have seen them as garden decorations, and being early spring, I thought I would be able to go into any number of stores and find one. In reality I went into a number of stores and found none. I’m not the craftiest person but I decided to make one myself. Using a dowel rod, paper plate, and piece of cardboard, I crudely fashioned a sundial. It was held together with a nail, push pins, glue, tape, and it looked like a third grader made it. But it served its purpose. When Plan A didn’t work, I had to make do.

Before people had clocks or watches sundials were the chief way of telling time. The problem with the sundial, though, is that they are not extremely accurate or very precise. Things can affect the accuracy of the sundial, like clouds, rain, or fog; and they are not nearly as accurate as our newer devices that give us to-the-second time.

But when there are no clocks, a sundial will have to do.

Sometimes in life we have to go with Plan B (or C, D, or E). When things do not go as we had planned, we need to be flexible. Sometimes life will rain on our parade, and we just have to do the best we can do with what we have.

Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” It is good to have plans, but sometimes they will fail. When they do, as believers we need to be flexible and adapt our plans to God’s purposes. 

Fitness Plan

One of the hottest crazes over the last decade has been related to fitness; gym memberships, fitness clubs, weight loss books, low calorie menus, diet drinks, and yoga pants have never been more popular. Ask the average person on New Year’s Eve what their resolution is, and you will likely get an answer related to fitness.

“I want to lose more weight.”

“I want to eat healthier.”

“I want to get in shape.”

And there is nothing wrong with these goals. People continue to come up with the next big thing: The Atkins Diet; The South Beach Diet; gluten free; vegan; artificial sweeteners. But the Bible also provides a great fitness tip. It isn’t new, but it certainly works.

Proverbs 3:8 says, “It shall be health to thy naval and marrow to thy bones.”

The ESV translates the verse this way: “It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” What must we do to receive this healing, this refreshment?

The preceding verses tell us that the key to unlocking this fitness is godliness. Verse 3 says not to forsake mercy and truth; verse 5 says to trust in God, not yourself, with all your heart; verse 6 says to let God direct your steps; and verse 7 says to fear God and depart from evil.

An eager person asks, “What must I do to have that body? How can I get in shape fast?” They are willing to do whatever it takes. We know that to have spiritual health we must seek God and live for Him. Are we willing to do it?

The results are worth it.  

Convince, Correct, Encourage

Among the instructions that Paul gave the young pastor Timothy are convince, correct, encourage with all patience and teaching (reprove, rebuke, exhort in KJV).

We love encouragement, and we like to be encouraged by pastors. Encouragement doesn’t ruffle feathers, and we like to see the smiles on faces when we encourage. But how much do we convince and correct?

Those two are more difficult because they assume the one being corrected is wrong and the one doing the correcting is right. The concept of being right is frowned upon thanks to post-modernism. But as believers we need to put cultural correctness aside and fulfill our biblical obligations to convince and correct.

What kind of doctor would I be if I chose not to tell you that you were sick because I didn’t want to hurt your feelings? Or what if I didn’t think there is absolute truth, so I just told you that everything was fine? I would be a bad doctor, but that is what we do when we keep the bad news from people. The word gospel means good news, and there is no good news without bad news. We need to convince people of the bad news (they are sinners separated from God) and correct their wrong thinking (they are not good enough to make it to heaven). Yes, encouragement is easier, but that only comes after they have repented.

The message of forgiveness, friendship with God, and heaven are all encouraging, but only in their right context. Talking about a lifeguard, floatation device, and CPR is not nearly as encouraging to a person on dry ground as it is to the person drowning at sea.

In the same way, telling an unsaved person about forgiveness means nothing until they are convinced they are sinners and in need of forgiveness. That’s not a cruel message because we are offering encouragement in the same breath: Jesus offers us the forgiveness that we need.

Most importantly, don’t miss the asterisk in Paul’s admonition: use patience. It’s not about winning arguments or being the best debater. If we do not show patience and love, then no matter how right we are, we are wrong. It’s not about us being right, it’s about Jesus being right. We can win the debate and lose the convert. 

Anxiety

The word anxious is often used the wrong way. People will frequently say they are anxious when they are looking forward to something:

“I’m really anxious about getting my income tax return!”

What they really mean is that they are eager (unless, like me, you were worried that you would owe more to the government). Anxious actually means the opposite of eager. Like when people say, “I could care less” instead of, “I couldn’t care less,” they are saying the opposite of what they mean.

To be anxious means to have anxiety; the dictionary defines it this way: “full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune; greatly worried.”

Quite the opposite of eagerness, anxiousness is not something we like. Unfortunately, it is also something many people deal with on a daily basis.

An anxious mind is like a weight that drags us down, causing us exhaustion and robbing us of joy. But our Creator did not intend for us to live life this way. Most things we worry and fear about never come to pass, and even if they do, wait until then to deal with it. Don’t worry yourself sick.

Proverbs 12:25 says, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” If someone you know is being weighed down by anxiety, search for a good word to make them glad.

A compliment can complement what God has already spoken. Remind them they are loved by God, that He demonstrated His love for them on the cross, and that if they are His followers they have heaven to look forward to. Their sins have been forgiven and there is now no condemnation for them. They are invited into a relationship with the King of the Universe, they are adopted as His child, and the good work that He began in them will be completed. He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother, never leaving or forsaking those who live for Him.

In addition to the theological truths, looks for a kind word to say to someone today. Even the smallest of positive remarks can lift the heaviest burdens. Come along side those with anxious hearts and bear their care; a simple word can ease their load, straighten their back, and give them peace of mind—a peace that passes all understanding and makes hearts glad.